The Craster Arms has the best beer garden we have visited
We had heard plenty of good things about The Craster Arms. One of us had eaten there before, but this was our first visit together with the dogs. We stopped for lunch after our walk from Beadnell to Seahouses, catching the bus back and getting off in the village. It’s only a 5-minute walk from the seafront, and it’s a nice walk. Lots to see. The food was excellent, the dogs had loads of room, and the beer garden took us completely by surprise.
If you are staying in pet-friendly Beadnell holiday cottages, this is somewhere you can walk to and happily spend an afternoon.
The Craster Arms sits on The Wynding in the centre of the village. It is a beautiful old stone pub, covered in hanging baskets and flowers. It looks as though it has stood there for hundreds of years. Nothing about it feels modern, in a good way. Salt Water Café is only around 50 yards up the road, with St Ebba’s Church the same distance away, while Beadnell Towers & Kitchen, the village’s boutique hotel and restaurant, sits directly opposite.
We arrived at around 1 pm to 1.30 pm on a sunny midweek afternoon. We had not booked, but there were plenty of tables inside and out.
We chose to sit outside and walked straight through to the beer garden.
You cannot tell how big the garden is from the front of the pub.
We counted more than 30 tables, spread across different sections with flowers, canopies, pergolas and covered seating. It is huge, but it does not feel like a yard filled with tables.
They have put real thought into it.
There were probably 25 to 30 people outside, yet the place still felt quiet. Nobody was in anyone else’s way, and there was loads of room between the different areas.
You could sit in the sun or find shade beneath one of the covered sections. We were there for lunch, but it is the sort of garden where you could easily stay all afternoon.
We would love to see it during a football match or one of the pub’s events. If it is this good when quiet, it must be unbelievable when full.
The Craster Arms also appears in our guide to the best things to do in Beadnell with dogs.
Yes. The garden is properly set up for them.
Just inside the entrance, there is a stack of metal water bowls beside a dog water tap. It is obvious where everything is, so you do not need to go inside and ask.
Our two Golden Retrievers settled under the table with bones we had bought in Seahouses. There was plenty of room for both dogs, their leads and people walking past.
The staff were based inside and only came across the garden when bringing food, so this was not a visit where they fussed over the dogs. The facilities told us more. Water, bowls, shade and space had all been thought about.
The pub’s current policy says dogs are welcome in the bar, restaurant and outdoor areas.
They must stay on leads, off the furniture and clear of the walkways.
You can compare it with the other dog-friendly restaurants and pubs in Beadnell in our village guide.
The menu goes beyond standard pub food, with plenty of seafood alongside burgers, steaks, pies and meat-free choices. When we visited, the main courses shown ranged from £18 to £28.
A few examples included:
Prices are from the menu available during our visit and may change.
Explore Northumberland With Your Dog
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
We ordered lemon and thyme chicken with chips, plus a fish finger sandwich with chips and slaw.
The chicken looked simple, but it was outstanding. It was cooked perfectly and had far more flavour than we expected from a plain chicken breast. We could have eaten a larger portion, but that is the only fault we could find.
The fish finger sandwich was ridiculous.
It was huge, with what looked like one or possibly two full pieces of fish inside. We saw another four or five coming from the kitchen, so it may be the dish regulars know to order.
With fish and chips now so expensive, it looked like fantastic value.
We both preferred our own meals, so there was no winner. Both were excellent.
We still found room for dessert.
We ordered sticky toffee pudding with ice cream and an apple and almond strudel. Again, we each preferred our own choice and both plates were cleared.
With two soft drinks, two main courses and two desserts, the bill was around £55. We need to check the receipt before giving an exact total.
The food arrived in roughly 15 to 20 minutes. The service was excellent, and there was nothing we were unhappy with.
Absolutely.
Alongside The Northumberland Arms in Felton, The Craster Arms is now near the top of the places we want to revisit.
It would be especially good for families, large groups or anyone visiting with more than one dog. You could find your own part of the garden, spread out and stay for hours.
We finished our Beadnell to Seahouses walk with the dogs here.
If we were staying in Beadnell, we would probably be back the next day.
