Our family doesn’t make it out of the midwest often, but we were recently lucky enough to travel to Ireland and England with some family. As part of this vacation, we spent a few days in Northampton, England. On our first night in town, we dined at a very cool, comfortable restaurant called The Old Bank. The menu was solid, with something for everyone. There was a wide array of vegan fare, bar games, lots of seating, and a delightful selection of brews for our enjoyment. This is our review of The Old Bank.
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Significant Vegan/vegetarian options
I have to say that I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the number of plant-based options on this trip. Quorn products seem to be ubiquitous and options were plentiful at The Old Bank. My son had some plant-based nuggets and my daughter enjoyed a Bavarian style pretzel (served with vegetarian-friendly beer cheese).
My mother-in-law and I ordered and split the pulled mushroom chili and a rocket (arugula) salad. Both were vegan-friendly.
The mushroom chili was very hearty. It had a good, spicy kick and a hint of barbecue flavor. The basmati it was served with was cooked to perfection. It was a perfect meal after a long day of traveling.
The salad was very fresh. It included pickled watermelon rind, cucumber, tomato, and a hint of avocado. I opted to add the grilled halloumi, which was super yummy. It wilted the greens just enough. We don’t see halloumi on the menu very often at home, but it has the salty cheesy flavor of deep fried cheese curds — a Wisconsin favorite! It absolutely helped cure my belly’s homesickness. Yum!
Atmosphere
The Old Bank is so welcoming. The dark woods and leather/faux leather upholstery, make the atmosphere inviting. Seating was well-spaced and very comfortable. They had tufted sofas, stools and benches of various heights, dining chairs, as well as some armchairs.
There were televisions available for sport-viewing, but they weren’t overbearing like in a sports bar. There were pool tables, shuffleboards, and an expansive outdoor area.
The outdoor area included a sheltered area. It was comfortably furnished, including standard patio tables, picnic benches, and uniquely-engineered, industrial seating.
Staff
Shortly after we arrived for the first time, “Cool Kids” by Echosmith started playing in the background. It was very fitting. All the staff very much seemed like they were cool kids. They were also welcoming and friendly.
Cool kids….
Speaking of music, the music was spot-on, with some hits from decades past, as well as newer, less-familiar tunes.
Family friendly
We happily brought our children here twice during our three day stay in Northampton. The Old Bank offers vegan-friendly and kid-friendly meal options. (They even had a vegan dessert!)
Their seating arrangement provided adequate space, meaning our kids wouldn’t be too disruptive to any nearby tables enjoying the company of other adults. All the pieces were sturdy, too, so I felt safe letting my kids (4 & 7) climb onto the stools.
Last but not least, the staff didn’t seem to have any issues with their presence. We even enjoyed a few family rounds of Shuffleboard on our last day. 🙂
Beer selection
The British definitely don’t slack on quality beer. While I mostly drank Guinness on my trip, The Old Bank offered a wide variety of beer on tap. It’s also where we were introduced to Level Head by Greene King. This particular brew quickly became one of Ryan’s favorites throughout the trip. He also scored a promo tee while there!
Greene King restaurants
As we continued our trip around the country, the Greene King name and logo popped up everywhere. Turns out that, in addition to brewing, they also own many restaurants (and hotels, too!). We dined at another one of their restaurants in London — The Golden Lion — which was of comparable quality.
If you visit the Greene King website, it turns out they also own hotels. Based on our experience, they have a pretty high comfort standard, so if you’re just starting to plan your trip, maybe check into their accommodations. We definitely will if we make it back to England.
Five Star experience
All in all, The Old Bank definitely contributed to an enjoyable, comfortable stay in Northampton. The Old Bank is a vegan-friendly and kid-friendly restaurant with quality food and a comfortable atmosphere.
If you’re traveling to Northampton, we 100% recommend it. If we ever make it back, we’ll definitely be stopping there again.
— Melissa, The Joneses Four
