A review of Alnwick Gardens Treehouse Restaurant. Where wooden beams, branches, hand carved furniture and twinkling lights create a truly unique dining setting in what is currently the world's largest wooden treehouse.
Appearance & Arrival
A large part of its charm is in the arrival at The Treehouse Restaurant. In a typical treehouse style, the rustic looking exterior appears as though it's constructed of mismatched wooden off cuts, held up by a crisscross of beams. It's partly hidden by the surrounding greenery, making you want to go exploring and discover what's beyond.
Hundreds of fairy lights welcome you along the sloping wooden walkway, under a covered gazebo, then continue up to the restaurant entrance.
Although closed during our visit, there's also a rope bridge for the more adventurous, plus a number of tables set out under the tree canopy. These provide the perfect place to enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail from The Potting Shed.
Tip: The Potting Shed also serve hot drinks and light bites. No reservations are required, making this a great way to experience the treehouse surroundings without dining in the main restaurant.
Treehouse Restaurant Interior
Thick tree trunks and twisted branches run through the restaurant in a variety of directions to create quirky yet authentic surroundings.
Some branches reach up past supporting beams toward the high ceilings, while others flow across the floor to form natural barriers between the tables.
Diners sit upon hand carved chairs and wooden benches. And cleverly positioned spotlights enhance the natural tones of the different woods used throughout the whole restaurant.
The overall atmosphere is warm and welcoming, with a huge central fireplace providing an inviting focal point. Dining on a warm summer evening meant the fire wasn't lit, which we were thankful for as our table was located right next to it!
The Treehouse Restaurant Menu
The Treehouse Restaurant aims to serve a selection of seasonal dishes made with locally sourced ingredients.
Lunch and dinner sittings are available, with many of the same options offered on both menus.
Although we ate at the restaurant in the evening, our starters also feature on the lunchtime menu, so you can enjoy them whichever time you choose to dine.
Starters & Small Plates
Classed as small plates at lunchtime, and a starter on the dinner menu, the Crispy Spiced Tender Stem Broccoli Fritters were extremely tasty. They are more like tempura vegetables than a fritter, but the two of us who ordered them really enjoyed the dish.
North Shields mussels was my husband's choice. The portion was the perfect size for a starter, and the sour dough served along side them was ideal for mopping up the Alnwick pale ale and garlic cream.
Main Courses
Our main courses are only available on the dinner menu, so you'd need to book a table in the evening to enjoy the same meals.
Three of us opted for steaks from the grill. Fillet, Sirloin and Tomahawk are your choices. All are served with thick chips, tomatoes and mushrooms. For a little extra, you can also select a sauce accompaniment.
Don't expect a plate of food served with any finesse, it looks like something you'd serve up at home. However, all the steaks were cooked to perfection, and the sauces were spot on.
If you fancy a fish dish, our eldest teenager gave the Catch of the Day a big thumbs up. You have a choice of how the fish is cooked - steamed or grilled, and it's served on a bed of mash with a delicious selection of vegetables.
Desserts
There are around 6 dessert options on the dinner menu, for those wishing to finish their meal off with something sweet.
We selected the Bakewell Tart which is served with salted caramel gelato, and the Chocolate & Cherry Tiramisu.
The Tiramisu wasn't as we expected. The overpowering coffee flavour meant it was difficult to distinguish any hint of cherry in there. However, we all voted the generous serving of Bakewell Tart a triumph.
Current menus are available on The Treehouse Restaurant website. As well as lunchtime and a-la-carte menus, you can also view the children's menu, Sunday Lunch options, plus drinks available from the restaurant bar.
Opening Times
Opening times of Alnwick Gardens Treehouse Restaurant can vary according to days and the time of the year.
As a rule, there's a daily lunchtime service with varying opening times:
- Monday to Wednesday 12-4pm
- Thursday to Saturday 11.30am-3.30pm
- Sundays 12-6pm
The restaurant opens from 6.30pm-9pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays for dinner.
During Northumberland school holiday dates, an evening service is also offered Monday - Wednesday. And as the restaurant is also available for private hire, it can sometimes completely close to the general public.
Hint: Although the restaurant is situated within the grounds of Alnwick Gardens, it's location right next to the Blue Badge holders car park means you can easily gain access to the restaurant when The Alnwick Gardens are closed. So make sure you check the restaurant opening times, not those of the gardens!
Booking a table
Book well in advance is my biggest recommendation if you wish to eat at The Treehouse Restaurant.
The short service times mean tables can get booked up quickly, especially for dinner sittings.
All bookings can be made via The Treehouse Restaurant booking system on the website: alnwickgarden.com/the-treehouse-restaurant
General Information
- The Treehouse Restaurant is easily accessible by wheelchair and those with pushchairs via the wide wooden walkway.
- With the exception of service dogs, no dogs are permitted in the main restaurant.
- Dress code is smart, casual.
- Parking is available in the Alnwick Gardens car park adjacent to The Treehouse Restaurant. As we arrived here after the gardens had closed, we didn't need to pay for parking. If arriving during the day, you may be asked to pay the current parking fee.
- A cashless system is currently in place at The Treehouse Restaurant.
- You do not need to buy an Alnwick Gardens entry ticket to dine at The Treehouse Restaurant. It's a separate building, located before the entrance to the gardens.
Alnwick Gardens Treehouse Restaurant Review Summary
We had a thoroughly enjoyable evening at The Treehouse Restaurant in Alnwick Gardens, and it was great being able to tick off this bucket list item during our Northumberland adventures.
The food was good rather than fantastic, and we deemed the service the same. However, the unique setting and quirky surroundings made for a memorable experience. And I would recommend anyone visiting this area of the UK to try this one of a kind restaurant at least once.
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If you're planning a visit to Northumberland and are looking for somewhere to stay, check out my review of Doxford Hall Hotel & Spa. Just a 20 minute drive away from Alnwick Gardens Treehouse Restaurant:
