Indie Durham City on Instagram

Here’s a preview of photos and videos posted by Indie Durham City on Instagram – follow us there at @indiedurhamcity.

More than a year after we first posted about @fiik

More than a year after we first posted about @fiik_durham "coming soon" to Elvet Bridge, we were delighted to join friends, influencers and members of the press for a special preview evening last night, ahead of the imminent public opening!

Tasting menu restaurants have become very popular in #Durham in the last couple of years, and FIIK describes itself as offering a "themed tasting menu, changing monthly, designed to be a bit of fun and an opportunity for some creative cooking that doesn’t take itself too seriously."

The team behind FIIK certainly has the background to be a success, with lots of experience working in other classy Durham eateries prior to launching their own place.

These "soft launch" events like last night's are a good way to get feedback from well-connected people, and, perhaps more importantly, to test that everything works. We have certainly been to openings in the past where that test run has definitely been needed before the public are let in! 😆

Happily, though, FIIK seems to have most things nailed already. The experience starts well with the cosy but contemporary interior and warm welcome, and continues with delightful service, delicious food, and well chosen wine pairings. It's a lovely and quality experience, but with a really chilled vibe and a refreshing lack of pretensions.

We wish the FIIK team every success, and are really pleased to see the restaurant bringing life back to a unit that had been empty since the pandemic. As elsewhere in the city, the previously vacant upper floors of the building have been carved off separately for student housing, which needed to be finished before work could proceed on the restaurant.

Stay tuned to the FIIK social media for news of the public opening very soon!

#lovedurham #restaurant #restaurants #tastingmenu

One of the things we most like about October is al

One of the things we most like about October is all the #Halloween shop windows! Jo at Moon Jewellery always manages to create something delightful 🎃

#Durham #LoveDurham

We headed to "bar and grill" 19Twenty for lunch to

We headed to "bar and grill" 19Twenty for lunch today - always one of our favourite #Durham venues! The burgers are among the tastiest you'll find anywhere in the city, and it's a fantastic people-watching spot too 😋👀

#lovedurham #burger #lunch

We headed to @islabycoarse today - the new small p

We headed to @islabycoarse today - the new small plates restaurant from @coarsedurham in North Road - and what a delight it was!

The food is as lovely as you expect by now from the Coarse team, served by cheery staff in beautiful, relaxed surroundings. A great addition to #Durham! 💛💙

#lunch #food #restaurant #smallplates #lovedurham

We were really pleased to catch up with owner Kay

We were really pleased to catch up with owner Kay at Angelic Threads inside Durham Market Hall yesterday!

Since opening just before Covid, Kay has gained lots of fans for her lovely, reasonably priced ladies' fashion and accessories, including free-size clothing - perfect for the summer! - alongside beautiful ranges of bags, scarves and jewellery.

Be sure to go and pay a visit!

#durham #lovedurham #fashion #clothing #ladieswear #womenswear

We've headed to Café at The Quarter at Prince Bis

We've headed to Café at The Quarter at Prince Bishops Place for lunch today!

It's a great people-watching spot, with delightful staff and a delicious sandwich on lovely fresh bread. An excellent addition to our city!

#durham #lovedurham #cafe #lunch #coffeeshop

It was a pleasure to chat to Julie and Ged at newl

It was a pleasure to chat to Julie and Ged at newly opened greengrocers @andersons_greengrocers at @princebishops! There is a lovely range of fresh produce, and the shop is dog friendly too 🐕🍅

#durham #lovedurham #greengrocer #greengrocers

We've just sampled one of the homemade sweet chill

We've just sampled one of the homemade sweet chilli #vegan sausage rolls at The Nook inside #Durham Market Hall. Soooo good - and a lovely cosy spot to sit and watch the world go by too!

We were delighted when tour guide Peter invited us

We were delighted when tour guide Peter invited us on one of his 1.5-hour @walkaboutdurham history tours recently.

We learnt so much, despite (or so we thought) already knowing #Durham well!

With four different tours on offer, you can get all the info on Peter's website - the link is in his Instagram bio.

#LoveDurham

Have you visited @coarsedurham lately? The current

Have you visited @coarsedurham lately? The current menu runs until 4 May, and was just as beautiful and delicious as ever when we checked it out earlier in April 💛💙

#durham #lovedurham #michelinguide #restaurant #dinner #tastingmenu

We had a special birthday to celebrate last weeken

We had a special birthday to celebrate last weekend, so were excited to finally head to Faru, the tasting menu restaurant in #Durham's Silver Street that only opened last year but is already listed in the prestigious #MichelinGuide.

As you'd expect, it's a memorable experience, with miniature courses that are each a work of art at the same time as being packed with exquisite flavours.

With attentive service, well chosen wine pairings, and a close-up view of all the action in the (very calm and well organised) open-plan kitchen, we had a lovely time and would certainly return for another special occasion in the future.

We appreciate that Faru's price point means it's not a place you go every day, especially in challenging economic times. However, we think it's fantastic that Durham now has a real diversity of offer - from the affordable cafés and restaurants serving hearty comfort food, to places like Faru (and other favourites like Coarse and Cellar Door) that are building the city's reputation as a real foodie destination.

Whatever kind of food you love, and whatever your budget or occasion, we can be proud that Durham has so many wonderful choices!

#lovedurham #dinner #restaurant #tastingmenu

We've headed to Northern Stores & Deli at Prince B

We've headed to Northern Stores & Deli at Prince Bishops Place for a tasty lunch today. The delicious homemade pie and a pot of tea is just the pick-me-up we needed! 😋

#durham #lovedurham #pie #lunch #tea #cafe

We love the cosy new nook at The Nook! Now you can

We love the cosy new nook at The Nook! Now you can not only buy delicious cakes and other #vegan and #glutenfree treats to take away, but you can enjoy them right away 😋

#durham #lovedurham

We headed to the lovely Bagel Break in #Durham's N

We headed to the lovely Bagel Break in #Durham's North Road for lunch today. Serving a wide range of sandwiches, pastries and cakes, as well as delicious daily specials - like our tomato and mozzarella #bagel - it's in a hard-to-miss spot right opposite the new bus station!

#cafe #coffeeshop #bagels #lunch

On a chilly December day, nothing warms you up lik

On a chilly December day, nothing warms you up like a tasty chicken #parmo from @parmalafamilia at @thefoodpit. Soooo good! 🤩😋

#durham #lovedurham #streetfood

We have enjoyed food and drink at @thekingslodgein

We have enjoyed food and drink at @thekingslodgeinn many times before, but last night was the first time we had stayed the night! With comfortable rooms and a location close to #Durham railway station, it's a great option if you are visiting the city or having people here to stay 👍

#lovedurham #inncollectiongroup

Amid all the change on Britain's high streets, it'

Amid all the change on Britain's high streets, it's wonderful to see how independent #bookshops are one of the big success stories of recent times.

Yes, you might sometimes save a pound or two buying from an online #retail giant, but you can't experience that moment where a colourful cover or interesting title unexpectedly catches your eye as you browse; you can't enjoy meeting an author as they talk about their life and inspiration; and you certainly can't get the warm glow that you feel when you know you're supporting a local #Durham-based business.

Since City of Durham Parish Council launched the Indie Durham City project in 2020, it's been our pleasure to work with not one but two brilliant new indie bookshops in the city: the delightful BookWyrm inside Durham Market Hall, which we featured as a previous cover star (https://www.indiedurhamcity.co.uk/2023/01/10/our-social-media-cover-star-miles-at-bookwyrm/), and the wonderful Collected Books in the city's Riverwalk.

We first met Emma, who runs Collected, back in November 2021, when her idea for a #bookshop (with coffee) specialising in work by women was still in its early days, and we were able to share some hints and tips about the opportunities for independents trading in Durham.

So, we were thrilled when Emma was able to launch her new bookshop in mobile form in spring last year - building a following by offering a range of 1,000 books in a van at the Saturday market in Durham Market Place - and then, in September 2022, beyond excited when she launched in her own permanent premises at 44 The Riverwalk.

It has been wonderful to see Collected go from strength to strength over the last year, with a stock of around 10,000 titles, a regular book club and programme of instore events, and some of the best coffee and cakes you'll find in the city.

Collected's extended opening hours throughout the week make it easy to call in before or after work, and on Thursdays and Fridays the shop is even open until 8pm - sometimes with an instore DJ on Fridays for "Books & Beats" (the next one is on Friday 8 December from 6pm to 10pm)!

#shoplocal #bookstore #independentbookstore

We headed to @19twentydurham on Elvet Bridge for l

We headed to @19twentydurham on Elvet Bridge for lunch today, where the burgers are always delicious, the service attentive, and the seats in the window one of the best vantage points in the city to watch the world go by! 👀

#durham #lovedurham #burger #lunch

We're always pleased to help spread the word about

We're always pleased to help spread the word about the latest Durham Independents campaign from our friends at @durhambid, and headed to @bookwyrmdurham in @durhammarkets - one of more than 40 participating indie businesses - to pick up our card!

You should know the drill by now - simply collect a loyalty card from one of the businesses that is taking part, and collect three stamps. To get those stamps, you need to buy three items, from three different businesses.

Hand the card into any one of the selected venues, and you'll be entered into the draw - five winners each week until 22 December will each win £100 worth of vouchers, to be spent at any of the participating shops and businesses.

For all the full details, head over to the Durham BID website - participating businesses are listed there, and on the inside of the card.

Many of our favourite businesses that you often see us posting about are taking part, so it's a great way to support local retailers at the same time as being in with a chance to win!

#durham #lovedurham #durhamindependents #shoplocal

Today's the day! 💡 💡💡 We wish everyone v

Today's the day! 💡 💡💡

We wish everyone visiting #LumiereDurham over the next four nights a wonderful experience - enjoy the atmospheric installations, and do support the many independent local businesses that are staying open late if you can.

Remember, access to the Durham city centre artworks is by free ticket only between the peak times of 16:30 and 19:30 each evening - and these are sold out - but anyone can visit after 19:30. Visit lumiere-festival.com for all the info.

These pics from Wednesday's sponsors' preview give just a taster of what you can look forward to!

#durham #lovedurham

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