Inside Amari the new Darlington Asian restaurant and cocktail bar

Amari Restaurant and Cocktail Bar opened in Duke Street, Darlington, last month and has already had hundreds of diners through its doors. 

The restaurant's impressive interior coupled with an adventurous menu comes as Darlington has experienced an influx of new hospitality venues of late. 

Amari says its guests will "have a special experience of seeing our elegant interior, along with tasting and drinking from our delicacy menu."

Its menu includes a selection of traditional and 'fusion' curries but it is its 'exclusives' which have drawn the most attention so far.

A wagyu burger complete with a 24k gold leaf on top is priced at £150, while a surf and turf with lobster tail, wagyu beef and caviar costs £300. 

The £300 surf and turf

But the high prices haven't steered customers away, with the owners saying how each dish sold out during the recent New Year's Eve service. 

One of Amari's partners said: "When we go out and eat we don't stay in Darlington because we can't get what we want. So we thought 'why don't we open our own place?'. 

It's always been an ambition of mine to open my own place but it's been about getting the courage to do it.

"It's taken a bit of time, especially with getting the right funding, but as an early teenager I've always said I wanted to open my own place.

"The reaction has been great so far."

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