As part of my recent stay at the newly launched Tempus by Charlton Hall, I enjoyed dinner with my good friend Hannah in their Orangery restaurant. The Tempus is part of Charlton Hall, in fact it’s just next door and has a fabulous bar, restaurant and orangery serving up drink and food creations for you to enjoy. I’d heard very good things about the menu, and was looking forward to trying it.

Disclaimer: We received a complimentary meal at The Tempus as part of my stay.

I was staying onsite in one of the accommodations in the grounds, but The Tempus itself has 15 boutique hotel rooms. I think there’s something so nice about staying where you’re eating, so you can fully enjoy it and don’t have far to walk afterwards. If you aren’t staying though, The Tempus is still a fabulous restaurant to visit for dinner regardless. I’ve shared more details on my stay at The Lookout by The Tempus here, but for now – back to the food.

The theme of the restaurant and bar area is ‘entirely bonkers’, inspired by Alice in Wonderland, and from the snug to the bar and out into the restaurant you’ll experience just that. Each area is different from the next, but in keeping with the theme, and you do feel like you’re going through a wonderland of rooms. 

The Tempus is dog friendly, but in the dining areas only until 7pm, so we booked for 6pm with the intention of moving out onto the terrace for desert, where dogs can be at all times. We were shown to our table in the Orangery, which I’d describe as being like a rainforest with a big splash of pink. I think it’s gorgeous, and I love the pink details, especially the artwork on the walls. 

I’d enjoyed a cocktail on arrival here earlier, with the doors wide open on a summer evening you could easily spend the evening making your way through the drinks menu. They had a mix of traditional classics such as margaritas, all the martinis – pornstar, espresso, French and House, as well as their own unique creations. 

I’d had ‘The Duchess’ which was gin based, but some of the tempting others were the ‘Shrink me Potion’, ‘Poison or Not?’ and ‘A Place Called Wonderland’. They’ve really embraced the theme but the cocktails themselves are anything but novelty, they’re perfection. For our pre dinner cocktail Hannah and I got ‘Madness Returns’ with Havana, passionfruit, lime and pineapple – the best way to start our meal.

Dinner as part of a dinner, bed and breakfast package at The Tempus includes three courses, so for starters we had a parma ham scotch egg, and the scallops served with spiced cauliflower and onion bhaji. Other starters we could have chosen included soup of the season, terrine of the season, and my favourite Lindisfarne oysters. 

Once wolfed down we ordered a glass of red each, as for main Hannah had the Five Spice Duck with sweet potato, and I went for the sirloin steak with Bernaise sauce and chunky chips.

The food was incredible, with the steak cooked to perfection and the kind of taste you don’t want to end. I obviously dipped the chips in the leftover sauce too. It really was all delicious, and served at a leisurely pace through the evening. 

The menu was really varied, and other options included classics such as burgers, fish n chips and Shepherds pie, fish courses including tuna steak, halibut linguini in a lobster bisque, and mussels. Vegetarian options included risotto and gnocchi. Other sides that I was tempted by included truffle and parmesan fries, tenderstem broccoli, asparagus, and a range of other sauces for with the steak. 

After finishing our mains, we decided to have a breather and move out onto the terrace. It was still lovely and warm out there despite the sun moving behind the roof, and some people were enjoying an evening drink a few tables along. We put our dessert order in, I had a seasonal creme brulee with meringue pieces and berries, and Hannah had the dark chocolate brave. The perfect end to our meal and a good catch up.

If Hannah wasn’t driving and I wasn’t shattered after a very busy day in Northumberland, I think we could have easily kept going through that cocktail menu – it was fab. Instead we called it an evening and went for a walk through the grounds with Arthur. 

To read about my overall experience staying at The Tempus, read my blog on The Lookout here. If you’re just looking for a lovely meal out in Northumberland as part of a day trip or a stay up there, then add The Tempus to your list. The food is excellent as are the staff, and the menu is a mix of classic favourites as well as seasonal options, many with a local touch. Book your table on The Tempus website here, where you can also find the most up to date sample menus.