The Potted Lobster, Bamburgh

This review is based on a visit in March 2022. Please check the Potted Lobster website and social media for the most up to date menus and information.  

We love a good seafood restaurant but it can be an expensive hobby so when my mam asked where we'd like vouchers for as a Christmas gift, the Potted Lobster in Bamburgh which had been on our list of places to visit seemed like the perfect choice. Thanks mam for treating us! 

The Potted Lobster is in the heart of Bamburgh, the most beautiful village on the Northumberland Coast. I'd highly recommend booking ahead. We visited on a freezing cold Wednesday lunchtime and they were fully booked and constantly turning customers away. We booked ahead online with a £5pp deposit which was deducted from our bill. 

There is parking in the village but it is limited. On this occasion we parked in Links Road Car Park at the bottom of the castle which is pricey at £4.50 for 3 hours (pay by phone or cash). Use postcode NE69 7BJ. There were loads of spaces available on the day of our visit but I know parking can get very busy on the Northumberland Coast in peak season. We definitely paid for convenience on this occasion. 

If you'd like to travel by public transport, the X18 from Newcastle or Berwick stops in the heart of Bamburgh less than a minute from The Potted Lobster's door. 

The Potted Lobster is a beautiful space with a relaxed and welcoming interior and atmosphere. The restaurant is dog-friendly and there were quite a few dogs enjoying a visit on the day of our trip. What I like about the set up here is that the lower part of the restaurant is dog-friendly and the upper part is for those dining without dogs. I reckon this is the best of both worlds. 

Bamburgh is super dog-friendly with lots of large dog water bowls dotted along the high street and dogs are welcome in Bamburgh Castle grounds and Bamburgh Beach welcomes dogs all year round. Yeah! 

When you book online you can select whether you'll have a dog with you or not. It's all nice and straight-forward. We didn't actually bring Fozzy with us on this occasion as I actually booked our table before he came home to live with us but I wanted to share it here as it was such a nice restaurant and the dogs we spotted seemed happy to be there. 

There is a fairly extensive wine list which I found to be very reasonably priced. My Sauvignon Blanc was £5.90 which considering the location, I thought was a very good price point. Table water is brought out as standard too. 

The menu is a mix of local seafood and produce from local farms as well as a couple of vegetarian and vegan options. I was also pleased to see a couple of specials board from which we ordered our starters. Steve ordered a scallops dish which he thoroughly enjoyed and I can never resist squid which on this occasion was served with an Asian Salad. 

I honestly think the squid here was the best I've ever tried. The pieces were huge and properly meaty with a little touch of sweetness and absolutely no chewiness at all.

The portion was big too. I have to say though, the Asian Salad wasn't as good as my favourite version of this dish from Omni. It just seemed to be a tomato and onion salad on a bed of mango chutney rather than a . Still delicious and a dish I'd order again. 

Onto our mains and we both had to go for Lobster. It is served a few different ways here and you can choose how it's cooked. I went with Themidor and Steve opted for Garlic Butter. Both versions are served with hand cut chips and a large pot of nicely dressed salad. 

The 1/2 lobster is presented in a  'ready to eat' style and you don't need to be faffing about with any lobster crackers and picks. I would say it's a good place to try lobster for the first time as it's not as daunting as having to sit down and crack open your own shells or use picks to get to the meat.

Obviously, the lobster was delicious, the chips were perfect and the salad was spot on too. Lobster is obviously a bit of a signature dish and it was done really well. 

The service throughout was impeccable. Dishes were delivered promptly, we were checked in with a couple of times, there was time for a friendly chat and we felt very well looked after. The staff here really stand out.

It's not a cheap place to dine. Our bill was £112 for two people including tip (two courses with one alcoholic drink each). In fact I reckon this was probably one of the most expensive lunches we've ever eaten in the North East. We did pick the some of the most expensive dishes though and it was a Christmas gift so a special treat. It is perfectly possible to visit and spend a lot less and I still think the experience would be just as good. 

I was asked if it is somewhere you'd visit with kids and I would definitely visit here with children. The atmosphere is really informal and although they are serving high quality ingredients, it's not stuffy or overly fancy at all. It really reminds me of the lovely bistros and restaurants you find by the beach in Cornwall which are packed with families after a day at the seaside.

They have high chairs available and you can see the children's menu here. 

How lovely is Bamburgh though? A lovely place for a potter, walk along the coast, Castle visit and a delicious lunch. We will definitely be back with Fozzy at some point and if you are looking for a very decent local seafood restaurant which welcomes dogs, I'd definitely recommend.


Find out more, view menus and book here: https://thepottedlobster.co.uk/bamburgh/

If you are looking for a nice dog walk afterwards, there are some handy maps in the Links Car Park. You can walk along the coast to Seahouses (just over 3 miles) and catch the bus back if needed.