This Bank Holiday weekend is a perfect opportunity to head out for a meal with your family or friends - and what is more perfect than a Sunday roast? 

With numerous laces to choose from in County Durham, it's tough to sometimes decide where to go. 

As part of this, The Northern Echo has pieced together a list of places that are 'under the radar' when it comes to Sunday dinners. 

Within the list, are places that boast a sparkling service on TripAdvisor - but sometimes get overlooked or unnoticed by people.

'Under the radar' places for Sunday dinner in County Durham:

Travellers Rest, Witton Gilbert

Noted as a great place for Sunday dinner, this place has been praised for its meals and atmosphere multiple times on TripAdvisor. 

A reviewer, who visited this month, wrote on TripAdvisor: "Went here tonight as a family of three, had three main meals and desserts, and drinks - it all came to £97. The food was fantastic, very tasty, massive portions. Well worth every penny! Service was excellent too!

"Can’t wait to return, have been for Sunday lunch a few weeks ago and that was 10/10 too!"

The Derwent Arms, Edmundbuyers

A classic country pub boasting a roaring fire - this place is cosy and comfort food personified. 

The beautiful country pub was refurbished under new management in August 2021. 

It has a combination of homecooked food, real ales, beers, wines, and spirits.

Alongside the restaurant and pub, it has six en-suite bedrooms at the venue.

A reviewer who enjoyed a Sunday roast here said on TripAdvisor: "We visited for Sunday Lunch - it was superb. Lovely fresh veg, great Yorkshire pudding, and the beef tasted wonderful. Great staff, great food and a lovely location."

The Avenue, High Shincliffe

A friendly out-of-town pub offering decent B&B facilities, providing a handy base for walkers exploring the countryside, the evening menu offers quality food at modest prices and the pub serves traditional Sunday lunches.

And it seems like this ringing endorsement of the pub is shared by TripAdvisor reviewers, with one saying: "One of the best Sunday lunches (if not the best in County Durham). The service was brilliant too and very reasonably priced for such delicious food. The outside and inside areas are lovely. Claire was brilliant. We will be back. I would highly recommend."

The Poachers, Durham

Perched just beyond the heart of Durham City, The Poachers is a family-run restaurant and bar that offers midweek meals and Sunday roasts.

With over 16.1K followers on Facebook, the venue is notable for serving good, honest food.

The establishment has earned commendable ratings on Tripadvisor, with a score of 4 out of 5.

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The reviews notably hailed the generous portions and the expansive menu, extending beyond the paper one to encompass a daily specials blackboard.

The Poachers' focus on home-cooked food is a prominent part of their ethos, as seen on their Instagram page, which has amassed over 1.8K followers.

One person who tried the Sunday roast here said on TripAdvisor: "Called in on the off chance, excellent Sunday lunch, huge portions, great homemade Yorkshire puddings. £12.95 for regular but I'd have a small next time."