The Aviator Bistro - Ferryhill

Glyn D.

Was told about this place and it hasn't disappointed. Very welcoming staff, couldn't help you enough. Brilliant for a cuppa and cake or a meal and a beer. They have gluten free food, so something for everyone.

Gary K.

Lovely little Bistro near Ferryhill that we visited for breakfast on Saturday morning. Arrived shortly after 9am and it was quiet, with only a couple of other guests.

Lovely setting near a small airfield and a handful of old planes parked next to the Bistro's building.

Welcomed warmly and enjoyed a lovely Full English Breakfast (The Aviator Breakfast). Food was great 👍 and good value.

Definitely recommended if you are passing by.

T. T. S.

A lovely place to escape to ...amazing old planes , loveky countryside and a fab restaurant

Glenn R.

We visited this place to alleviate my fascination with planes even though pn the day there was no flying because of poor weather conditions.
The Aviator is located next to the air side, so there should be a good view of air traffic on a good day. The building is fairly modern, and well thought out inside. It's a bit smaller than I expected from the photos I saw beforehand, and it could do with a bit of a refresh of the decor where the cheap laminate flooring has worn or lifted, for example.
There are plenty of staff on hand, standing around looking for things to do when they don't have any direct customers to serve. Unfortunately, most of them lack experience and don't offer a friendly, hospitable service, being school kids or post-schoolers on their first jobs.
We were disappointed that we missed breakfasts: they were advertised on the website but when we arrived we found out that they are only available until 11.30 (12pm on Sundays). This could usefully be mentioned on the website.
The main meals and the drinks are quite pricey, in my view: £3 for a small pot of tea for one is quite high, considering a teabag costs a few pence. Mains average about £12-£14. Although, I was a bit surprised that the halloumi burger cost £2 more than the classic beef burger - I can't understand this price differential.
Anyway, they are all the negative points. On the positive side, the food was really well cooked and adequately portioned when it arrived. We were surprised that the classic beef burger came with two large meaty patties. The halloumi burger came with breaded fingers of the cheese but seemed a lot smaller that the beef burger in size, somehow. The chips were well cooked and on the beef burger dish, there were plenty of them.
The burgers were served on a metal tray, lined with a paper tray cover, which gets soggy and disintegrates during the meal. Personally, I would prefer it to be served on a plate without the flammery.
Overall, we liked this venue. There are opportunities for improvement but overall we thought it was interesting. I would like to return when the breakfast is available to see if that is better value for money. I think the pricing is a little off for the drinks and general menu, but if that doesn't bother you too much, you know you will get a decent meal here.

Charlotte T.

This was such a lovely find!

We popped to bolems butchers and wanted a pub meal. We googled for nearby and the Aviator turned up. Gave them a ring and they confirmed they did gluten free so we drove right over

It's in the middle of an airfield with planes on site. It would look wonderful on a sunny day and they do have outdoor seating, or a lovely conservatory.

It was quiet inside, could've done with a bit of music, but it's clean, lovelingly decorated, spacious, with a nice little bar.

Staff we lovely and accommodating.
Plenty of gluten free options available.
Took about 25 minutes for the food to come out but it was fresh and hot.

All in all it was a great little find and will definitely be back !

David C.

Visited this place as there was supposed to be a car meet, the weather wasn't too good.
I had the chicken stack burger with fries and slaw. Had it with a fanta, came to £17.
Food was good quality, it was cooked served pretty quick. Recommend this place.

Mario G.

Nice location and surroundings. Service was good and drinks were really nice, the coffee drinks were well made and tasted nice and hot. The food was a little bit of a let down. The burger was juicy but was lacking in flavour, maybe more char? And seasoning? Fries was nice! Coleslaw was disappointing. Tasted like red cabbage and mayo. Pizzas were average, would be a lot better with a better dough base. One of our kids had chicken tenders, which came with either peas, sweetcorn or beans. They had no peas or sweetcorn. I do think it could be alot better.

Tom T. J.

Second visit here.
Had breakfast this time, the Aviator for me and eggs Benedict for my good lady wife 😃👍
Both were excellent, as was the coffee, and got to see the Europa land, which was a bonus!