The Black Bull Inn

Lovely location, attractive building. The room was well equipped with good lighting for reading. The staff were very friendly and the food was delicious with a good choice at breakfast and dinner

Nothing

5 Star all the way, excellent 👏

Nothing to dislike

Everything went very well. We were a party of nine elderly people and the two girls on duty, Poppy and Kirsty were able to deal with assigning us our rooms as well as dealing with other customers in the bar. It was very busy in the evening and again the staff were able to cater for us - Barbara was very pleasant and efficient in serving us at dinner and Kellis was there to help too. The dinner was excellent with a good choice of menu and especially Gluten Free choices as one of our party is coeliac. Everyone in our party was highly delighted with everything.

Nothing of any note really.

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Very good

No ot was fine

The breakfast was fantastic - plenty of choice, really tasty and well presented. Service was friendly and attentive. The room was spacious and comfortable.

Room very well set out and bed extremely comfortable. Dinner and breakfast were well presented and a good food choice. Service with a smile in a lovely settling.

The bedroom was well decorated with very good storage. A good choice of well cooked food in the restaurant. Staff were very friendly and efficient

Bedroom would benefit from two chairs ( one was supplied when we asked)

Nice accommodation and very friendly staff.

Deep stones in car park/driveway made it difficult to get suitcases to from reception.

Clean friendly and good breakfast and evening meals and pleasant staff.

Clean, kind staff & really good breakfast.

Menu not varied enough, no grill options Opening times poor, four o’clock opening

The room was beautiful and clean. Bed was very comfy. Shower was great. Coffee and tea making facilities available. Staff were very friendly. Always trying to accommodate your needs. Breakfast menu had good choices and freshly made to order.

The accommodation has a fully functional restaurant and a bar. Which on paper sounds fab. However these were the issues that made our stay have an element of disappointment. Let me explain.. Check in is at the bar. We arrived at approximately 6.30pm. The person behind the bar ( who was lovely incidently) was being swamped by serving people at the bar, guests arriving for Check in for rooms and further guests arriving for tables. As our keys were obtained we were hastily asked what time do you want breakfast which in the middle of a busy bar,restaurant other room guests arriving surrounded by our cases I was a bit flummoxed. Could I not decide once settled rather than that second.? Now the restaurant opens at 4.30pm and the bar 4pm. What I found really frustrating was we could only have a table for 90 minutes. After that time you must move. We and other accommodation guests had two evenings of table and seat hopping moving for restaurant customers. There is no just bar seating area where you can sit and socialise. I just went to my room really disappointed that I had nowhere to sit. Staff were running around everywhere. I could see no leadership or owner / manager. In fact no one introduced themselves as such. There were many times the person behind the bar was juggling so many roles ( restaurant guests, bar customers phone constantly ringing) people were left waiting too long. Why is there no affiliated bar area? Locals come in for drinks and struggled. Being asked to move repeatedly was really annoying. It was raining so going outside for most part was not an option. It was busy two days and our room was over the front restaurant area so was noisy until very late. I genuinely am not a person to grumble but it was so disappointing and frustrating that accommodation guests had no space to just sit in the bar and mix with others. Check out there was no one about at the bar so left key on side so couldn't discuss anything.

Everything about the property was first class

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Good sized and comfortable bedrooms. Good breakfasts and evening meals. Staff worked hard to make us feel relaxed and content

Mattress was too soft for me. My wife found her bed fine

Great staff - accomodating and kind.

The room was lovely, quiet and very comfortable. Breakfast great value and delicious.

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The rooms were excellent as was the bar and restaurant, so clean and well equipped. The only thing that some may find a bit irritating was the phone signal was not good but not a problem for us.

Rooms had everything needed and very comfortable. Slept great. I liked the easy access to the car park directly from the room. Breakfast had a great selection and top quality. Bar had a great selection of beers.

Very central position. Lovely staff. Great food.

Welcoming and friendly atmosphere. Lovely breakfasts well cooked. Delicious evening meal. Excellent staff.

Great room. Food excellent. Staff excellent.

All good

Everything

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The setting, the rooms, the bar area, breakfast, the staff: in fact everything.

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Easy to find , room was a good standard

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Everything. Staff all lovely, food fantastic, room beautiful and very comfy and clean

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Location

Room was poor, creaky floors that made cupboard handles rattle as you moved around the room, dirty extractor fan in the bathroom, and dusty in the bathroom skirting/architrave

Awesoem breakfast

Beautiful setting and a very warm welcome on arrival. Excellent level of cleanliness in the room. Delicious food options on the dinner menu in the restaurant. Reasonable prices on food and drinks. A comfortable bed provided a great nights sleep.

Needs more powerful internet provision. The signal was weak and kept crashing out needed to re-register every time I needed to get online. Not ideal when you require access to emails for work/ keeping in contact with family etc.

The rooms were spotlessly clean The staff were very friendly The food was excellent

As residents there was nowhere to sit and just have a drink as most of the tables were for food.

Friendly staff, nice atmosphere, comfortable modern room. The breakfast is very good. The dinner was good but it is typical pub food and I would have. Liked a few lighter options for the main course. But it’s extremely popular and probably the best in the area.

Rooms very clean comfortable bed that I didn’t want to get out of

Evening meal wasn’t good over priced Waited 25 minutes for something to drink ,very slow service Breakfast was good ,should dairy free options I rang up before arriving regarding dairy free options

The staff were cheerful and helpfuk; the food was very good and our room was comfortable, clean, well maintained and quiet.

When we arrived the place was locked and we were told we had arrived too early (3.30pm), This would be reasonable in a pub or a restaurant but this appears to be both of those things - and a hotel! Hotels shouldn't be locking doors in the middle of the day. We were given a key to the hotel door but it wasn't the best of welcomes. Our paper work did say it didn't open until 4.00pm but it was in small type and I missed it.

Lovely old pub that has been sympathetically and tastefully restored and decorated. The rooms are spacious. Very comfortable beds. Fantastic bathroom. Spotlessly clean. Staff were very friendly and helpful. The food was exceptional. We would recommend booking for dinner. Great menu. Absolutely delicious. Breakfast was amazing - again great choice and standard. Plenty of parking.

Can’t think of anything we didn’t like.

Well presented, very friendly professional staff, great food and a lovely atmosphere.

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Clean, had everything needed, good food.

Cost

Lovely country pub, the food was delicious. The breakfast was very good with lots of choice. We only stayed one night as a stop over but would definitely return

Immaculate hotel. Decor fresh and subtle. The staff were welcoming, friendly, attentive and provided great service. Meals; were sourced from locally producers and cooked perfectly and presented really thoughtfully too.

N/A

On site parking. Our ensuite bedroom was exceptional. The breakfast menu covered everything that you could require.

The only thing missing from our room was a small fridge. The evening menu was acceptable but fell below the standard set by the rest of the accommodation.

Breakfast was good, location was ok, staff were helpful and pleasant, hotel was in lovely condition.

Poached eggs weren't runny!

Really enjoyed our stay at The Black Bull Inn. Our room was cosy and clean. The staff were really lovely. Enjoyed the breakfast and we stayed for dinner as well. Food options were great and we would definitely come back again if we were around the area.

A little bit of noise from outside where people were walking to their cars but was fine and expected.

Perfect, lovely food, friendly staff, lovely rooms

We found the Black Bull very clean, beautifully restored and pleasantly modern inside. The staff were very friendly and efficient. The food (breakfast and dinner) was very good with a variety of choices. Our room (Ford) was large, with good amounts of hanging space and drawers (not always the case in some places). It was clean and the bed was very comfortable. The location was excellent for the coast, the A1 and inland villages. We’ve not stayed here before although we’ve been to Northumberland many times. But we would definitely come back.

Our only question mark was that when we requested the room be made up, the bed wasn’t made. This may be company policy and wasn’t a problem but we just found it odd; water bottles, loo rolls, etc were replenished so we knew housekeeping had been there.

The rooms are very clean and on the ground floor. The food is excellent and the staff very friendly. This is our 3rd stay there.

The 4 pm check in is late.

A wonderful traditional village pub, in a quiet location with great character and charm. Our room was spotlessly clean and well maintained. The evening meal was excellent (roast loin of venison) as was the breakfast. I highly recommend this lovely hotel.

The size of the property made it feel cosy

The layout of the eating areas, in particular there is one area that has no outside views

Staff were excellent and very helpful, room was clean and bed very comfortable.

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Everything was great and food in hotel was amazing!

Not applicable

Our twin room (Barmoor) was a really good size. The beds were really comfortable, and it had a large walk-in shower. Breakfast was lovely with a good range of dishes. The evening meal was excellent, all food locally sourced. The staff were lovely and friendly. Prices in the bar and restaurant were average.

Well appointed bedroom and very comfortable bed. Modern bathroom with an excellent shower. Good menu choices and well presented food. Served by friendly and efficient staff.

A comfortable armchair would have enhanced the room. There’s an upright chair at the desk but not for relaxing in.

Comfortable bedroom. Superb quality food. Lovely bar area. Friendly staff.

Nothing!

Great location for Holy Island. Comfortable room, good evening meal and breakfast. Plenty of parking.

Walls thin and you could hear guests in other rooms!! Our room was warm, no fan available in room and didn’t open window as on ground floor and was on route to car park. Small corner shower.

Absolutely everything was perfect

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comfortable room. Good breakfast menu.

Perfect for an overnight stay Food was very good Lovely room with comfortable bed Friendly helpful staff

There wasn’t anything we didn’t like

Nice relaxed atmosphere, friendly staff and great beer garden to enjoy on a warm summer evening. Great food at reasonable price.

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Fantastic food. Excellent breakfast.

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My partner and I planned a nine day first visit to explore Northumberland We chose the Black Bull Inn and Lowick as a good central spot and so it was. The Black Bull Inn was excellent in so many ways. It was spotlessly clean,well equipped and comfortable with a great big bed. The breakfast was very good and we had dinner every evening and again it was excellent. We did exhaust the choices on the menu in our nine evening stay. The staff were cheery friendly and efficient and nothing was too much trouble. In all,we had a great stay and loved Northumberland. We hope to come again John & Kate .

We were content

Good location, very comfortable beds. Very clean, breakfast was excellent. Good friendly service.

A couple of the rooms were a bit dark, but it’s a minor point.

Everything was fantastic, especially the food and staff. Beautiful location and very well presented. Look forward to staying again.

Had a few problems with the Wi-Fi, but that may have been our own fault

Lovely old inn characterful. Staff very polite and friendly amazing breakfast

Tweed our bathroom had started to show signs of black mould on the ceiling due to ventilation no doubt when used. No issues just don’t let it spoil a lovely room

Very comfortable inn with friendly staff and good service

Perhaps the evening menu could be changed each week

Location was great. Friendly, room was clean, food was very nice.

Room dated and very small. The toilet was broken and was running water nearly all night.

Lovely staff. Good breakfast. Good Location.

Lots of doors banging downstairs first thing in the morning 7am. All the kitchen cooking smells made their way up under the door into the room. The wifi wasn't brilliant.

Breakfast ok

The bed and pillows duvet, not cotton or feather . I like natural duvet and pillow fillings.

Lovely friendly staff nice location great food and a very comfortable bed.

WiFi was a bit hit and miss but didn’t spoil my stay, could do with a bit more choice of tv maybe prime and Netflix.

Great location for visits to Holy Island, Etal, Ford and Bamburgh. Great staff who were helpful with all we needed. The food in the restaurant was superb in the evening and at breakfast. Top quality ingredients used. Plenty of secure off road parking.

Room was a bit on the small side. Guest WiFi was not good.

Ideal location and good parking. Pets welcomed in bar area but not allowed in rooms which was good. Evening meal ok but breakfasts were very good.

Room was above the bar and in the early evening conversations could be heard however the bar did close at 10pm.

The breakfast was excellent and a very generous cooked option.

Nothing really

Excellent breakfast beautifully prepared and delicious

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The new front of house manager (from Washington DC) is very polite and welcoming and always has a smile.

Having stayed a number of times in different rooms that are all very clean, the shower sealant lets them down. Quite mouldy in places now. Quick fix to bring these back up to the high standard of the rest of the place.

Bar, breakfast, dinner

Had none of the atmosphere of a country pub - public area very barren! Food very ordinary. Wine v expensive.

The service and the food were both excellent

There was nowhere to sit in the bedroom

Everything. Food excellent, staff lovely so clean and probably one of the best places I can remember staying in.

Small comment: The guest WiFi wasn’t good and kept losing connection but we managed.

Very happy staff and very helpful. Very high standards throughout. Excellent food

Food was excellent. Large comfortable room.

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What a lovely place. Staff very friendly. Our evening meal was very good. Definately would stay again.

Having to leave.

Clean, attractive, comfortable - a lovely country pub/inn.

N/a

Everything was to a high standard

We had a lovely overnighter here en-route to North Shields to catch the Ansterdam ferry. The room was clean and comfortable and iur evening meal was delicious. We had the soufflé and scallops to start followed by loin of venison and the mushroom and garlic pasta. Couldn't fault any of it. A good hearty breakfast followed in the morning and a lovely chat with one of the owners.

Staff were very good and attentive.

Fijne kamer, in leuke inn. Prima eten.

Excellent evening meal, loved the venison burger, comfortable clean room, strange that there was no pictures on the walls though. Breakfast hot fresh and delicious. Visiting Holy Island which was only a short drive away. Would definitely recommend.

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Clean and comfortable room. Good food. Friendly and helpful staff. Nice atmosphere. Really enjoyed our stay.

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Super service, vriendelijk personeel

The rooms have recently been refurbished to a high standard, quality fittings and furniture and comfortable bed. The rooms were quiet with no disturbance from the pub. Tea, coffee and water were provided. We ate in the pub on the first night, the menu was a little different which was good. The food was tasty, good value and well presented. The breakfast was outstanding, a great choice, served hot and quickly and well managed. The chef and serving staff both need complimenting.

One room was quite small and I think the term luxurious is a bit over the top! Modern, comfortable and tasteful yes. Hooks on the door or somewhere to hang coats would have been very useful, showers hot, powerful and new but very small.

Great location

Full of character. Friendly staff. Food very good

Only one chair in a double room. Second person had to sit on the bed. Not made clear that if you arrive before 4pm the Inn is locked as it doesn’t open till 4pm. When booking it only says check in is 4pm

Excellent location for getting around north Northumberland, Edinburgh and East Lothian. Very comfortable room, especially the bed. Lovely breakfasts and nice restaurant that we used more than expected.

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The room and the breakfast was very good.

Our evening meal was disappointing. The food was not bad but no better than a 6/10. Cheese board was excellent.

Nice and clean Good food Reasonable price

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Very friendly staff and really good accommodation

All good

Friendly , great breakfast.

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Clean, excellent food, polite staff

As we were travelling without a car, the location was a little challenging. Prior to our visit I called the hotel asking for a local taxi service. My. call was never returned

A very nice inn, small room equipped with everything you would need, a very comfortable bed, nice bathroom with shower. The inn is in a very quiet location in a small village, with plenty of parking & a nice outside terrace seating area at the front of the hotel. The food is very good quality & the menu has plenty of options available. We really enjoyed the Venison Loin, was very nicely presented & tasted amazing.

Nothing at all, very happy with our stay

Great food and friendly staff

The room was not as good as everything else

Top tier amazing service from the moment we checked in, Meals were outstanding both dinner and breakfast a definite must stay

like it all we did have free wifi

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What an amazing place to stop on route to Scotland comfortable bed hot water amazing food and wonderful staff. Warm and cosy atmosphere.

Unfortunately it would have been nice to stay up in a traditional bar area for drinks after our meal but that was missing.