The Hadrian Hotel & Hjem Restaurant

Hotel review

From the outside it looks a handsome coaching inn - which it is, with a welcoming, comfortable bar, log fires, good pub food and real ales. Yet tucked behind a curtain there is possibly the north-east’s most adventurous and creative restaurant, Hjem. Ally Thompson and (Swedish-born) Alex Nietosvuori (manager and head chef, respectively) have created a village pub that caters for locals and walkers (Hadrian’s Wall is less than a mile) as well as for adventurous foodies. Hjem, which is coolly Scandinavian in style with a vast open kitchen, offers 12-course taster menus that highlight Northumbrian produce in taste-intense but fuss-free dishes such as delicate lamb tartare with dense caramelised onions or horseradish ice cream with apple caramel. (Guests, of course, have the choice of more standard dishes in the pub-restaurant.) Bedrooms, by contrast, are simple and light, and primarily designed to give a good night’s rest to weary walkers: comfortable beds, plenty of hot water (baths for deep soaks) and a minimum of fussy details. Coffee machines and home-made biscuits are a nice touch while the best rooms look south over the Tyne valley. With Hadrian’s Wall on the doorstep, there’s plenty of opportunity both to work up an appetite or walk off over-indulgence.

Helen Pickles Review published: 26/02/2024