Luxury And Opulence At New Durham Dining Venue

With my daughter Holly having recently returned to Durham University, I thought I would combine a nice catch-up with a night of fine-dining at The Rabbit Hole.

Located in Durham’s city centre just off Hallgarth Street, the niche restaurant is set within an eighteenth-century quaint building. Independently owned by Nigel and Deborah Gadd, the venue underpins itself as a jazz supper club, with a lavish bar and a chic 50-seater dining room inspired by the iconic roaring 20s. Offering delicious Shanghai-inspired food, the venue also holds a stage for live music on Fridays and Saturdays. With this is mind, we were ecstatic about the night ahead, especially Holly who was thrilled at the prospect of departing from her staple university diet of ready meals for a night.

Upon arrival, we decided to sample the restaurant’s drinks offering with a beverage in the cosy Drinking Den to begin. Spoilt for choice with an array of sumptuous boutique wines and spirits available, Holly decided to taste something off the ‘Giggle Water’, or cocktail, menu with a sweet and zingy cosmopolitan, whilst I stuck to my usual habits with a classic pint of tiger. We also immediately noted the attendance and hospitality of the staff, especially our waitress Bew, who greeted us with warmth and friendliness throughout.

We were then ushered to our table in the heart of the Supper Club itself. The location really did promote an ambience of comfort and luxury, with plush velvet interior, elegant mood lighting and opulent table settings. The sophistication is of course paralleled in the restaurant’s food offering. With a plethora of traditional Asian dishes available, the venue provides tasty oriental cuisine, as well as classic fayre from the grill, presenting a unique food cocktail ready to delight all palates and dietary requirements.

We both decided to try the oriental route first with Holly immediately devouring mouth-watering satay spiced chicken skewers, embellished with fragrant peanut sauce and pickled cucumber relish. As a seafood enthusiast, I tasted delicious king prawns coated in heavenly soy, spring onion and ginger dip, which without a doubt had the taste buds tingling.

Also eager to sample the venue’s ‘Off the Live Fire’ plates, our main courses were then served straight from the grill. Whilst Holly polished off Gai Yang chicken, a delectable whole chicken breast served with tangy sriracha sauce and rice, I savoured one of the venue’s exquisite steaks. Presented with a locallysourced 8oz fillet, the tender steak was accompanied by all the usual fixtures and fittings, with delicious chips and a rich black peppercorn sauce. Both courses proved extremely flavoursome and nutritious and were much to my delight presented in wholesome, hearty portions.

Feeling satisfied and replete, we unfortunately had to decline the attractive dessert selection in favour of tasty coffees and liqueurs. We then left The Rabbit Hole after a very pleasant evening and went on to enjoy a few drinks in some of the city’s distinctive bars and pubs after our meal.

With accessibility to the restaurant only available through a side door which is hidden by the venue’s antique shop seeming exterior, the phrase hidden gem really comes to mind when reflecting on our evening at The Rabbit Hole. Since guests are also asked to adhere to specific ‘house rules’, with requests to wear proper attire, there is simply nothing like this on the market in Durham. All in all, a unique hidey-hole that we can’t wait to return to.