Here we give names and suggestions for food and pubs and entertainment. We assume you have access to a search engine...
During the day: Lunch and snacks will be provided. Throughout the Conference the Palatine Centre cafe will be open if you need. It is about 100 metres down the hill (behind the red Dawson building directly in front of the Calman Centre). Here you can get Starbucks coffee, Sandwiches, pizza at lunchtimes. The closest other place to eat and drink during the day is the White Church pub on the crossing. It caters to all tastes but closes early.
Evenings etc: All other places require a modest walk into Durham -- about 10-15 minutes. Here are just some of our reccommendations sorted by type. There are many others which may or may not be good:
Fish and Chips: You have to try it once in your life. Forget the nonsense you get in London. Bells in the Market square is one of the best you'll find. (Ask for cod and chips -- the cod is typically big).
Italian: Rudy's is great for pizza (but doesn't do much else). Coviello manages to also be a barbers somehow, but is great. Bistro Italiano on Claypath is a traditional favourite. La Spaghettata is cheap and cheerful. Pizza Express is, well, Pizza Express.
Turkish: Akarzu and Turkish Kitchen are both great.
Lebanese: Lebaneat and Manakeet are both fairly standard mid-range lebanese food.
Thai: Zen is about 10 minutes walk from the Conference. Nadon Thai is on Crossgate.
Tapas: Gusto (near Rudy's) on Silver street is great. Tapas Factory on Elvet bridge is kind of mediocre.
Modern British: Coarse on North Road is amazing value. £40 (£1 \approx $1.3). for a six course tasting menu (if you can get a table -- the number of covers is limited to about 20 tables). Isla on North road is run by the same people. The food is `Coarse adjacent' but more a la carte and less upmarket. (Easier to get a table). Both place are not open Mondays or Tuesdays. Faru is expensive and very high scale - dinner will take about three hours they claim. Book in advance. Marco Pierre White in the Indigo Hotel is also recommended.
Chinese: Restaurant 56 on North Road is a recommended by Chinese students (and Danny van D.). There are two others on North Road that are favourites called Happiness. The Rabbit Hole has the distinction of being the closest restaurant to the Conference apart from the White Chuch (5 minutes walk). It claims to be Cantonese-Fusion but is way less popular with Chinese people.
Indian: you may be surprised to learn this is the British national cuisine. "British Indian" is typically a mix of Northern Indian, Punjabi, Pakistani, Bengali and Bangladeshi influences, slightly adapted (i.e. a bit less spicy - although usually you can ask for it as spicy as you like). Some dishes like Chicken Tikka Massala and Balti are genuinely British inventions. Anyway, a favourite is Alishaan on North Road which can take large parties at a moment's notice. The Capital on Claypath is also good.
Steak house: If you need meat, Rio Brazilian is a Brazilian style steak house where you pay a fixed rate and guys come round carving meat onto your plate until you give in. 19Twenty on Elvet Bridge is supposed to be good.
Tea and Cake: The Botanical Gardens near the accommodation (in Collingwood College) has very pleasant gardens and glass houses, and does tea, sandwiches and cake. In town Vennels is a quirky Cafe hidden down a back alley that has nice cakes and a selection of sandwiches, pies etc. Treats on Silver Street and Riverview Kitchen (with a lovely view over the river) are also nice places.
Coffee: The usual suspects - Starbucks, Cafe Nero, Costa are all present and correct in Town. Leonards Coffee House (location down another alley too difficult to describe - Google it) is also recommended.
Pub grub: Traditional food to have with a pint. The Head of Steam. Also the Cartographer and The Seven Stars (if you want a walk out to Shincliffe Village which is a very pretty village about 20 minutes walk through "Bluebell Woods" from Collingwood College). [Sidenote for people that were in the UK during Covid -- these woods became famous when Dominic Cummings was spotted rule-breaking in them.] The menus in these places change all the time so check online beforehand if and when they are serving food.
Pubs: If you just want a beer, there is no shortage of traditional pubs. The closest to the Conference Centre is the Victoria on Hallgarth Street with its incredibly quirky arrangement of rooms. Also reocmmended -- the Dun Cow has folk music (see the list here). The Elm Tree and the Holy Grale on Crossgate are classic British spit-and-sawdust pubs. Also the Station House under the viaduct for quirky ales. Avoid The Fighting Cocks.
Speakeasy: Yes we have one. Bar33 on Neville Street serves a good variety of great cocktails. To enter it you need the door entry code which changes regularly, and which can be found here.
Durham Fringe: During the week of the Conference, it's the Durham Fringe festival starting Wednesday 23rd. There is a large variety of shows and plays, all with low ticket prices (around £10). Read up on the reviews to get an idea of what you are in for. Things done by the students are usually good.
Durham Cathedral: Built between 1093 and 1133, it houses the relics of Saint Cuthbert (including the coffin which has the head of St Oswald inside it apparently), and the tomb of the Venerable Bede. You can enter the Cathedral and grounds any time. Find out about it here. It is possible to book guided tours here (but unfortunately there are only two tours most days at 10.30, 11.30 and also a tour at 13.30 on Mon/Tue/Wed).
