Framboisette Restaurant and Lounge

At a glance: Eaglescliffe restaurant serving French, Italian and modern English cuisine; lunch and dinner Wednesday-Saturday; early bird 2 courses £20; parties up to 50; 5/5 Google rating from 26 reviews. The Setting and Atmosphere Framboisette competes in a genuinely crowded field of restaurants around Stockton-on-Tees and Yarm. Elif offers a Turkish alternative nearby, while La Piazza, Cena Trattoria and Uno Ristorante cover Italian dining for comparison. The complete list of restaurants near Yarm gives a fuller picture. Framboisette sits on Station Road in Eaglescliffe, occupying a position that makes it a convenient destination for both local residents and those travelling from further afield across the Tees Valley. The restaurant has undergone a recent refurbishment, and the result is a space that has been carefully decorated to feel cosy and relaxed rather than formal or stiff. That distinction matters. Plenty of dining rooms aim for elegance and end up intimidating; Framboisette's approach leans towards comfort, making it a setting that works as well for a midweek lunch with colleagues as it does for a Saturday evening celebration. The venue divides naturally into two areas. The lounge is the more casual of the two, designed for those who want something lighter: a coffee, a snack, or simply a glass of wine without committing to a full sitting. The restaurant proper is where the complete menu comes into play, with tables arranged to accommodate everything from an intimate table for two through to a private party of fifty, restrictions permitting. That capacity of fifty covers is a notable offering for the area, putting Framboisette in the territory of being a genuine events-capable venue rather than simply a neighbourhood restaurant that tolerates large groups. Anyone organising a milestone birthday, a work function, or a family gathering would do well to consider what a dedicated dining room of that size can offer compared to the more typical scenario of being squeezed into a corner of a pub function room. For visitors to the area who are exploring the wider selection of [restaurants](<a href="/restaurants">restaurants</a>) and looking for something that sits a cut above the everyday without demanding the formality of a city-centre fine-dining room, Framboisette occupies a useful middle ground. The nearby town of Yarm, with its well-known High Street of [pubs and bars](<a href="/pubs-and-bars">pubs and bars</a>), tends to dominate the local conversation about going out, but Eaglescliffe's quieter Station Road has its own appeal for diners who prefer conversation over crowd noise. The Food: Menus, Approach and What to Expect The kitchen's stated philosophy is straightforward: quality ingredients, sourced locally wherever possible, freshly prepared. That commitment to local sourcing is a claim many [restaurants](<a href="/restaurants">restaurants</a>) make, but Framboisette backs it up with a menu that changes its framework around the freshest seasonal ingredients rather than running a static card all year round. The A la Carte and Sunday Lunch menus are both designed on this basis, which means that the specific dishes available will shift as produce comes into season. Diners who value seasonality in their eating will find that approach reassuring; those who want to know exactly what will be on their plate before they arrive should telephone ahead. The food itself draws from three culinary traditions: French, Italian and modern English. That is a broad church, and the menu reflects it. A glance at the lunch and evening offerings reveals a kitchen that is confident moving between classic French technique, seen in the chicken liver and cognac parfait and the truffle mashed potatoes, and more casual, crowd-pleasing territory such as the Parmo and salt and pepper chicken strips. The Parmo is a Teesside institution, and Framboisette's version, a flattened breaded chicken breast topped with béchamel sauce and cheese, served with skinny fries, salad and garlic dip, is a nod to local tradition that sits comfortably alongside more refined dishes. The option to add pepperoni and chillies for £2 or Stilton cheese for £2 gives it a degree of customisation that regulars will appreciate. The lunch and evening menu runs Wednesday through Saturday, with two sittings: 12-2pm for lunch, and 5-8pm for dinner. The early bird offer applies at lunchtimes and from 5-6.30pm, offering two courses for £20 and three courses for £25. That pricing positions Framboisette competitively for the area. Two courses at £20 represents genuine value given the standard of preparation and the quality of ingredients the kitchen describes, and the early bird window of 5-6.30pm is wide enough to be practical rather than punitive. Diners who can eat slightly earlier than the conventional 7pm or 8pm sitting will find a meaningful saving. Starters on the main menu range from £5.75 for seasoned potato skins up to £6.95 for Thai style crab cakes, with most sitting at £6.50. The range is well judged: there are vegetarian options including soup of the day, baked French goat's cheese with crushed hazelnuts and spiced hot honey fig, and stuffed mushrooms; a vegan-capable option in the potato skins, with vegan dip on request; and more indulgent openings such as the pork and black pudding bon bons with Dijon dipping sauce and the chicken liver and cognac parfait with caramelised onion chutney and seeded toast. Mains span from £15 for the vegan butternut squash and chickpea curry or the soy and garlic stir fried vegetables up to £17.50 for the Creole king prawns. The majority of main courses cluster around the £16-17 mark, which, for freshly prepared food with locally sourced ingredients in a refurbished setting, is fair for the region. Friday and Saturday evenings bring the addition of homemade thin-based pizzas, which broadens the menu further for weekend diners. Sides are priced at £3.95 each, with the option to upgrade to homemade chips for £1 on any main. The sides list includes mixed vegetables, dressed salad, and a bowl of chips. Sunday Lunch is a separate offering, focusing on traditional roasts served with fresh vegetables, Yorkshire pudding and gravy, alongside a selection of starters and desserts. Sunday roasts are a competitive market in any area, and Framboisette's commitment to fresh vegetables rather than the bulk-produced alternatives that some venues rely on is worth noting when making a choice about where to book. The kitchen is also explicit about its ability to accommodate dietary needs. Most of the menu can be adapted to gluten free on request, and vegetarian and vegan options are clearly marked throughout. The menu carries the instruction to inform the restaurant of allergies and dietary requirements before ordering, which is standard good practice, but the willingness to adapt most dishes rather than simply offering a single token option is a step beyond what many venues manage. For anyone navigating the local [eat-drink](<a href="/eat-drink">eat drink</a>) scene with dietary restrictions, that flexibility is a genuine differentiator. Wines, Coffee and the Framboisette Fizz The wine list runs to around 30 bottles, described as extensive and catering for all palates. Thirty wines is a considered selection rather than an encyclopaedic one, and in a restaurant of this size it is the right approach: enough range to offer genuine choice without the decision paralysis that a much longer list can create, and enough depth for the kitchen to suggest sensible pairings across a menu that spans French, Italian and English cooking. The signature drink is the Framboisette fizz, a Prosecco with raspberry syrup. It is the house's namesake cocktail, and it is worth ordering at least once simply for the novelty of a drink that the venue has made its own. Prosecco with a fruit syrup is not uncommon in Italian bars, but the raspberry variation gives it a distinctly pink, celebratory feel that suits the lounge's lighter, more social atmosphere. For those who prefer their wine by the glass without the addition of syrup, the broader list provides ample alternatives. The lounge also serves freshly ground coffee, which positions it as a viable option for a daytime visit that does not necessarily involve a full meal. Anyone looking for a quality coffee in Eaglescliffe, perhaps as an alternative to the more obviously coffee-focused [cafes](<a href="/cafes">cafes</a>) in the area, will find the lounge a quieter, more spacious environment than a typical high-street coffee shop. The combination of good coffee, a light bites menu, and a wine list makes the lounge a flexible space that works across different parts of the day and different occasions. Private Dining, Events and Seasonal Offerings The capacity to host parties of up to fifty gives Framboisette a practical role beyond everyday dining. Private parties, celebratory dinners, and work events all become possible in a setting that is more controlled and more personal than hiring a room in a hotel or a pub. The refurbished decor, described as cosy and relaxed, lends itself to occasions where the hosts want atmosphere without austerity. The restaurant runs a monthly quiz on the first Monday of each month. Booking is essential, and food is available by pre-order, with the menu circulated in advance. Quiz nights have become a staple of the local dining-out scene, and Framboisette's version, with food ordered ahead, avoids the often disappointing reality of quiz-night food that has been sitting under a hot plate since the first round. Pre-ordering means the kitchen can prepare to a normal standard rather than batch-cooking for a crowd. Christmas brings a dedicated Fayre menu, offered at two courses for £23.95 and three courses for £28.95. The menu follows the same multi-tradition approach as the regular offering: roast red pepper and vine tomato soup, duck and Cointreau parfait, and smoked salmon and pickled beetroot salad sit alongside more festive fare. The main event offers turkey breast with sage and onion stuffing, pigs in blankets and Framboisette gravy; a 12-hour slow cooked beef bourguignon; a mixed nut roast with port wine gravy for vegetarians and vegans; and a Christmas parmo topped with pigs in blankets and cranberry sauce, which is a characteristically local twist on the festive plate. Desserts include traditional Christmas pudding with brandy sauce, a rich chocolate brownie, lemon tart, trillionaires tart, and sticky toffee pudding. The Christmas Fayre requires pre-ordering and a £10 per person non-refundable deposit, due ten days in advance. That deposit policy is standard for Christmas bookings across the industry, but it is worth being aware of when planning. The menu also asks that all dietary requirements, including gluten free and vegan options, be clearly stated at the time of booking, which gives the kitchen adequate notice to prepare appropriately rather than improvising on the night. For anyone visiting the area and looking for accommodation alongside their dining, the selection of [places to stay](<a href="/places-to-stay">places to stay</a>) nearby ranges from [hotels](<a href="/hotels">hotels</a>) to smaller [bed and breakfast](<a href="/bed-and-breakfast">bed and breakfast</a>) options, making it feasible to plan an overnight trip that includes dinner at Framboisette without needing to drive home afterwards. Practical Details: Booking, Dietary Needs and What to Ask Framboisette operates Wednesday through Saturday. The lunch sitting runs from 12-2pm, and the evening sitting from 5-8pm. The early bird offer applies during lunchtimes and from 5-6.30pm. There is no indication of Sunday evening service on the main menu page, though Sunday Lunch is offered separately; the exact hours for Sunday service are not stated on the website and should be confirmed by telephone. The restaurant's telephone number is 01642 961600, and the venue encourages callers to get in touch for reservations or further information. Given the capacity for large parties and the monthly quiz that requires booking, telephoning ahead rather than simply turning up is advisable, particularly on Fridays and Saturdays when demand is likely to be highest. The address is 6A Station Road, Eaglescliffe, TS16 0BU. Station Road is well positioned for access, and the restaurant provides a directions link on its contact page. Dietary accommodation is a strength. The menu explicitly states that most dishes can be adapted to gluten free, and vegetarian and vegan options are marked with clear abbreviations: V for vegetarian, Vg or VG for vegan. The kitchen asks that allergies and dietary requirements be communicated before ordering, and for the Christmas Fayre, at the time of booking. This is not merely a legal obligation; it is a practical one that allows the kitchen to prepare properly rather than making last-minute substitutions that compromise the quality of the dish. Before booking, there are several things worth asking. If you are planning a private party, confirm the maximum number the restaurant can accommodate under current restrictions, as the website qualifies its stated capacity of fifty with the phrase "restrictions permitting." If you have specific dietary needs beyond gluten free, vegetarian or vegan, discuss them directly with the staff, who describe themselves as helpful and friendly and committed to making your time enjoyable. If you are booking for the early bird, confirm the exact time boundaries, as sitting slightly outside the window will mean paying the full à la carte prices. And if you are organising a group for the quiz night, ask about the pre-order menu when you book, so that your party can choose in advance and avoid delays on the night. The broader Eaglescliffe and Yarm area offers plenty to fill a day before dinner. The local [attractions](<a href="/attractions">attractions</a>) and [shopping](<a href="/shopping">shopping</a>) options make it straightforward to plan a full outing, and the convenience of Framboisette's Station Road location means it fits easily into most itineraries. FAQ, in full Does Framboisette cater for gluten free diets? Yes. The restaurant states that most of its menu can be adapted to gluten free on request. Diners are asked to inform the restaurant of any dietary requirements before ordering, and for events such as the Christmas Fayre, at the time of booking. This is not a token offering; the breadth of adaptability suggests the kitchen is accustomed to modifying dishes rather than simply steering gluten free diners towards a single option. What are the opening hours? Framboisette serves lunch and dinner Wednesday through Saturday. Lunch runs from 12-2pm, and dinner from 5-8pm. Sunday Lunch is also offered, though the specific hours for Sunday service are not stated on the website and should be confirmed by calling 01642 961600. The restaurant does not appear to open on Monday or Tuesday based on the information available, and Sunday evening service is not mentioned. How much does the early bird offer cost? The early bird offer provides two courses for £20 and three courses for £25. It is available during lunchtimes and from 5-6.30pm on days when the restaurant is open. This represents a meaningful saving compared with ordering the same courses from the full à la carte menu at standard prices. Can the restaurant accommodate large parties? Yes. Framboisette can host private parties of up to 50 people, though the website qualifies this with "restrictions permitting," so it is advisable to discuss specific numbers and any current limitations when booking. The refurbished restaurant space is designed to work for occasions ranging from a romantic dinner for two to a large group celebration. What is the Framboisette fizz? The Framboisette fizz is the restaurant's signature drink: a Prosecco served with raspberry syrup. It gives the drink a pink colour and a fruit-forward sweetness that makes it a popular choice for celebrations and for those who find plain Prosecco a little too dry. It is available from the lounge as well as the restaurant. For a more relaxed evening, the area’s pubs and bars are worth considering, and anyone building a full night out might check Yarm.co.uk’s entertainment listings. Both sit alongside the wider eating and drinking hub. How do I book the Christmas Fayre? The Christmas Fayre menu requires pre-ordering and a £10 per person non-refundable deposit, which must be paid at least ten days in advance. Bookings are made by telephone on 01642 961600. All dietary requirements, including gluten free and vegan options, should be clearly stated at the time of booking so the kitchen can prepare accordingly.