Aioli Restaurant by chris finnigan

This place is amazing, absolutely worth waiting for. We went to a Tapas Night on Sunday 10th March and the waiting time reflects how good the food is. However, it's not just the food. The staff are great too, everyone, including the chef, are all very friendly and charming. I liked how it has a great mix of top quality food combined with a friendly 'local' feel. This place is great and we're definitely going again.

Visited on open night with high expectations. Those expectations were absolutely blown out of the water! We only haven't been back yet because it's always fully booked at the times we can visit!
I visited with my extremely picky husband and we both thoroughly enjoyed everything we ate. The food was amazing, the service was great and the place was really clean, fresh and atmospheric. Don't listen to the one bad review as I think he must have visited a totally different place!
I'd highly recommend Aioli. The scallops and black pudding bhajis are to die for.

Absolutely delicious! I came with my wife for my birthday. We got some warm bread with chicken butter and dipping gravy to share before our starters. I got the scallops with black pudding bhajis which were lovely and she got the garlic mushrooms with poached egg. We shared the Chateaubriand which comes with a choice of 4 sides and sauce of your choice. We went for peppercorn sauce, chips, green beans and bacon, honey roast carrots and some parmesan chessey breaded things (apologies, I can't remember their name). It was amazing. We finished with a chocolate and hazelnut delice topped with rasberrys. We will definitely be back and likely to try the Sunday lunch as it seems incredibly good value and will no doubt be delicious. The restaurant itself is small and not particularly pretty, in fact you probably wouldn't look twice if you walked past it but with food and service as good as this it doesn't matter.

A first time visit for us and it will not be the last.
There is a lovely Mediterranean feel about this place that really appealed to us.
The excellent food and service makes for a memorable evening

Food and service was fantastic. I came as a guest of friends who live locally, I have never seen Master Chef nor know the reputation of Chris Finnigan.

However, I do currently live in Spain and recognized not only the flavors and influences of the food, but also the small details in decor and music. Chris obviously has a passion for Spanish cuisine and an appreciation for its culture.

I would recommend a proper coat room or rack, as getting our coats at the end of the evening was a bit of a hassle.

Excellent wine choices, seafood, chorizo, and beef. Recommended 100% if you want a taste of Spain in the North.

Amazing place! Gorgeous food! Welcoming and relaxed vibe.
Very well done to Chris and the team!
Thankyou and see you again soon.

Tried this place for the first time last Thursday - almost every table was booked at 8pm which is always a good sign. Decor was lovely, a leafy ceiling and interesting wallpaper, with quality glassware and cutlery/crockery. After we placed our order we were served with a small complimentary appetizer to keep us going. We both opted to give the starter a miss and hopefully leave room for dessert instead as they looked delicious (spoiler alert - they were!).

I ordered the pan fried sea bass and my friend had the pork, both came with a choice of two sides so we shared the four dishes between us (didn't want to miss out on anything!). This was apparently a style decision but Chris to foster the idea of tapas and sharing food, and it worked very well. The mains were well presented and tasty.

For dessert I opted for the white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake while my friend had the caramelised custard tart, both were delicious. The wine was very reasonably priced for a restaurant (£22 for our Sauvignon Blanc) and was very palatable.

I look forward to trying one of their highly popular tapas nights in the next couple of months! Can thoroughly recommend this restaurant!

Fantastic experience. Good prices especially for the quality you get. Lovely little venue. Amazing flavours 😎 well worth the 30 minute drive. Already chosen what we are trying next time

WOW! Little gem on the high street. Was genuinely blown away by how good the food was. The staff couldn’t do enough to look after us. Can’t get over how good the Sunday roast was. More than enough sides, delicious gravy and the crackling was crispy!!!!

It’s a cosy venue with the ability to see the chefs hard at work in the kitchen, really adds to the atmosphere.

I’ll certainly be back :)

Absolutely superb food, the scallop and black pudding bhaji starter is incredible.

Supporting local is always easy when the local is this good. Simply amazing chef, menu and restaurant. Can’t wait to return.

Booked for a family celebration. Chris Finnegan and his staff were very helpful and flexible with the arrangements. Straightforward to deal with. Good service and wonderful food with friendly efficient staff. Every single person in my large party had a wonderful time. The price I ticked included three courses for an evening meal with the optional dishes plus lots of good wine/beer/non alcoholic drinks.

Today was our first visit to Aioli the food was incredible, you can taste all the different ingredients used and the food is cooked to perfection

I had the salmon which was very tasty and my husband had the surf and turf, the meat melted in your mouth for the beef, delicious. We both really enjoyed the black pudding Bhajis.

Chris and the team make you feel very welcome and service and food is of a very high standard.

We were lucky to get the Chefs table so we could watch the food being prepared.

We will be returning very soon

I booked a lunch time slot for lunch with my family who live near whilst I was visiting
We really enjoyed the whole experience but were blown away by the food.
The staff and Chris were welcoming and the whole operation was slick
Only down side is o don’t live close enough to pop in but when I’m back in Birtley I’ll be booking.
Hope it continues to go well 😀and hope the people of Birtley embrace this as you deserve it

The food was delicious and great value I love the layout of the intimate restaurant and that Chris was able to come around and have a quick chat with all of the diners staff were very friendly and attentive I will be definitely returning back (hopefully in Jan 2024 if there is availability)

Been looking forward to trying Aioli and it was absolutely amazing, so we booked again whole we were there. We haven't stopped talking about the whole experience. Well done Chris and the team. Outstanding food, staff and ambience. Can't wait to come back. If you're thinking of going, get booked up, you won't be disappointed! Oh, and the Masterchef school chocolate pudding with pink custard was sublime.

Chris and his team have brought something special to Birtley. Chris is super talented and the food is always spot on. After years of working for others it's wonderful to see Chris fulfil his dream-keep smashing it!!

Loved this experience! Food was so so tasteful. Beautifully presented. Service great. Portions just right.
Thank you. What a gem!

Went there for the tapas night. Food was superb. Love the story of the chef, a local lad went away to hone his craft and brought his skills and knowledge back home to offer the people of Birtley a great place to eat.

Wonderful evening, restaurant has a great atmosphere and delicious food. Thank you.