The Rat Inn
Anick
Bar in Anick, United Kingdom
Book with PearlWhy go
A smart pick for a two-person pub meal near Hexham when the brief is calm, food-led, unfussy. The Good Food Guide 2025 recognition gives it a useful quality signal, but the lack of listed pricing or menu detail means it suits diners comfortable choosing on format and setting rather than pre-planned dishes.
About The Rat Inn
The Rat Inn in Anick is a venue to plan around rather than assume is open every day. It opens Wednesday through Sunday, with Monday and Tuesday closed, so the practical first step is checking the day and time before making it part of an outing.
The key details are simple: The Rat Inn is in Anick, has a casual dress code, is listed in The Good Food Guide 2025 with a GFG Good recognition. Approach it as an Anick venue with a recognised food-guide listing, check current menus, prices, drinks, booking requirements, service details before planning around particulars.
A casual Anick option with a food-guide signal
The strongest reason to consider The Rat Inn is its Good Food Guide 2025 GFG Good recognition. That gives the venue a clear quality signal without needing to overstate the menu, format, or room.
For a relaxed visit, the casual dress code and Wednesday-to-Sunday opening hours make it easier to place than venues with more formal requirements. Guests who need dish names, pricing, allergy details, or drinks information in advance should check current venue details before visiting.
Where it fits in an Anick plan
In an Anick plan, The Rat Inn works best with the hours in mind: 12–8 PM from Wednesday to Saturday, 12–5 PM on Sunday, closed on Monday and Tuesday. Those hours make timing important, especially for anyone trying to coordinate a visit with other plans in the area.
If you are comparing it with other venues, keep the comparison broad rather than assuming the same setting or format. The Feathers Inn, The Broad Chare, The Kirkstyle Inn and Sportsman's Rest, House, St. Vincent are relevant names to weigh if you are building a wider shortlist.
Planning details
- Location
- Anick, Hexham NE46 4LN, United Kingdom
- Website
- theratinn.com
- Phone
- +44 1434 602814
The take
The Take
The Vibe
The Rat Inn reads like a restored piece of regional history: an 18th-century hilltop drovers' inn that keeps its original character while functioning as a living pub. The interior is deliberately accumulated rather than styled—quirky items and well-worn finishes give the bar a time-earned personality. Its situation above the Tyne Valley brings wide, scenic views on clear afternoons, while inside the place stays low-key and conversation-friendly. The overall effect is a calm, authentic country pub where the past is present in the fittings and the welcome is relaxed rather than theatrical.
Best For
This is a straightforward, unpretentious pub well suited to casual hangouts and group outings that want a reliably good ale and straightforward food. Regulars and visitors alike come for the rotating taps and the roomy, conversation-friendly atmosphere rather than for high-energy nightlife. For travelers curious about North Country brewing, the bar functions as a compact showcase of regional microbrewers, and its food reputation is described as tied to the care taken on the drinking side—so it works equally well as a relaxed evening destination after a day of exploring.
Ordering Tips
The Rat Inn keeps up to six ales from North Country microbreweries rotating on tap, so treat the tap list as the starting point: ask the staff about which local brewers are pouring that day and for tasting recommendations. Because the pub’s food reputation grows out of its well-managed beer selection, order something from the kitchen to accompany the ale rather than approaching it as a drinks-only stop. If the weather is clear, time a visit for daylight to take advantage of the Tyne Valley views from the hilltop setting.
Venue details
Ambiance
Cozy traditional pub with dark timbers, fireplace, atmospheric bar, and roaring fires in winter.
Tags
Vibe
Best For
Experience
Format
At the Bar
- Bar Category
- Pub
- Late Night
- Closes by Midnight
Planning details
Location
Recognition and awards
Also consider
Where to go if this does not fit
If the Anick location or timing does not work, try The Feathers Inn for another country-inn option. If the group wants something less date-night coded, The Kirkstyle Inn and Sportsman's Rest is the more casual cross-shop.
Bar context
How it compares with nearby pub and bar alternatives
Choose The Rat Inn over The Feathers Inn when the priority is a compact Anick plan and a quieter two-person meal. The Feathers Inn is the more useful cross-shop if the location works better for the day's route, but this is the stronger fit for readers specifically anchoring the evening around Anick and Hexham.
The Kirkstyle Inn and Sportsman's Rest is the better alternative for a more casual pub outing where the name itself signals a broader local-inn feel. For a date, The Rat Inn is the safer choice if the meal is the main event and the group size is two. St. Vincent and The Broad Chare make more sense for readers leaning toward a city-style bar or pub experience rather than a country-inn dinner.
House is the cross-shop for a different kind of night entirely: less country-pub coded, more useful if drinks and atmosphere matter ahead of a sit-down meal. For value, compare actual menus before committing, since listed pricing is not available here. For booking ease, The Rat Inn should be manageable, but its narrower trading week makes planning smarter than turning up cold.
Explore Anick
Around this place
Discover more on Pearl
Unlock the full The Rat Inn guide in Pearl, including awards, comparisons, FAQs, planning details, and nearby places.
Compare The Rat Inn
| Venue | Location | Awards |
|---|---|---|
| The Rat Inn | Anick | The Good Food Guide 2025 |
| The Feathers Inn | Hedley on the Hill | No published awards |
| The Kirkstyle Inn and Sportsman’s Rest | Slaggyford | No published awards |
| St. Vincent | Newcastle Upon Tyne | No published awards |
| The Broad Chare | Newcastle Upon Tyne | No published awards |
| House | Newcastle Upon Tyne | No published awards |
How The Rat Inn Anick compares with similar nearby venues.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a reservation at The Rat Inn?
Does The Rat Inn have happy hour deals?
What's the best time to go to The Rat Inn?
The hours are Wednesday to Saturday from 12–8 PM and Sunday from 12–5 PM. The Rat Inn is closed on Monday and Tuesday, so the best time depends first on choosing one of its open days.
Is The Rat Inn good for a date?
It may suit a relaxed visit if you are comfortable with a casual Anick venue and plan around the opening hours. The Good Food Guide 2025 GFG Good recognition is the clearest quality signal, while The Feathers Inn is another name to consider for a broader comparison.
Is the food good at The Rat Inn?
The main quality signal is its Good Food Guide 2025 GFG Good recognition. For specific dishes, cuisine, prices, check current information directly with the venue.
What's the crowd like at The Rat Inn?
The crowd can vary, but the casual dress code and Wednesday-to-Sunday opening pattern are the most useful details for planning a visit.
