Fancying a meal somewhere completely new to us, my sister and I booked in for tea at Runa Farm, on the outskirts of Barnard Castle. It had been on my mental to-do list of venues since seeing the intriguing pictures taken by our hardworking snapper Sarah Caldecott when it opened as a wedding venue, pub and hotel back in 2022.

Looking like something from a Mediterranean island, with its reclaimed wood, part whitewashed walls, and rustic decor, Runa seems perfect for the Instagram age we live in.

We booked a table through the website (a very user friendly process) and noted that almost every page contains their strapline of "boho, earthy, honest". While I'm not quite sure what that means, their pledge of a "field to fork focus" centred around the use of "high-quality, locally grown produce with dishes that switch with the seasons" sounded very promising.

We drove up towards Barney on the kind of late summer evening that could have been straight out of the pages of a Thomas Hardy novel (if only they had been set up north). The sunshine was just disappearing into the misty horizon as we arrived, initially a little unsure if we were at the right place due to the minimalistic approach to signage.

The venue is owned by the Apartment Group, which also has The Croft (Spa) and Lartington Hall, and I could be wrong, but it would appear that weddings are their main market. Runa was hosting one on the night we visited, and with the guests and various bridesmaids to-ing and fro-ing through the restaurant, presumably to their rooms, it did feel a little as though we had gatecrashed a private function.

It also felt very cool – so much so that our jackets stayed on throughout our meal. Our table was quite central, which gave a good opportunity for people watching – both our fellow diners and the wedding guests – but the moody lighting made it a bit difficult to scrutinise the menu (or see my meal) as the position of my seat meant I was completely blocking the overhead lamp.

I squintily persevered, and found more invitations to enjoy the "charming boho setting" and a reminder not to forget to "say hello to our farmyard friends" – indeed, a cat did appear mid-meal.

Starters (prices begin from £6.50) include options such as the "signature" poke bowl for £8.95 (salad of sushi rice, pickled slaw, baby spinach, shredded carrot etc), squid and tiger prawn (£10.50), pork and nduja meatballs (£9.95), Thai spiced chicken and coconut broth (£9.50), and heritage tomato salad (£9.95). Sharing platters are also available, but conscious of not ruining our appetite for our mains, Claire and I ordered some focaccia with hummus (£5.50) and some with rapeseed oil/balsamic (£4.50).

The bread was super-fluffy and the portion was generous, while the hummus was smooth with a slight kick and the oil/balsamic nice and sharp.

Hindsight being a wonderful thing, we should have shared one portion of the focaccia, but we ploughed ahead with our mains. There are plenty of pub/restaurant classics on offer – fish and chips (£19.50), half roast chicken (£19.50), sirloin steak (£33.50) and beef and chicken burgers. The selection of vegan/vegetarian options is impressive with a plant-based burger (£16.95) and a summer green vegetable linguine (£17.50) among the choices.

I chose the steak frites (£24.95) – rump steak with fries, mushroom, and tomato, with the offer of it to be cooked "pink or past" (translated for me by our very efficient member of waiting staff, this meant medium-rare or medium onwards). I asked for pink but in reality there was not much pink to be seen. It was though, tender, very tasty and a very good size for the price. The chips were good – light and crispy on the outside. The accompanying mushroom and tomato were well seasoned but just a little sad in appearance.

Claire chose the Hen House Burger – buttermilk chicken, melted cheddar cheese, tomato and lettuce (£16.95). She really enjoyed it. The crispy chicken was excellent and the slab of melty, sticky cheese made it a proper treat.

Sadly our hearty starters meant we were too full to get involved in the dessert menu, so we got the bill – with a glass of wine, half a lager and two soft drinks, it came to £66.20 – while the resident cat snootily wandered from table to table.

More Eating Out reviews:

Dive deeper into the stories that shape the region with The Northern Echo. Unlimited local news, an ad-free app, and a digital replica of our print edition—all with 80 per cent fewer ads on our site. Subscribe now for a faster news experience

Service throughout was thoroughly professional and nicely paced – neither too slow or too rushed and there were plenty of staff on hand on the floor and at the bar.

Did we get the boho, earthy and honest vibe? I'm not sure, but we did have a nice meal in interesting surroundings. Runa is clearly trying to offer something a bit out of the ordinary, and as a contrast to the epidemic of fast food venues taking over our towns, its farm to fork focus is very welcome.

The Smithy at Runa Farm

Darlington Road, Barnard Castle, DL12 8TA.

0191 9337409

runa-farm.com

Open for lunch every day, 12pm-4pm and for dinner Monday to Thursday, 4pm-8.30pm, Friday and Saturday, 4pm-9pm and Sundays, 12pm-8.30pm.

Ratings (out of ten):

Food quality 7

Service 8

Surroundings 8

Value for money 7