Came here for a little celebratory dinner recently, as it's one of the relatively few upscale restaurants in Newcastle. It's very out of the way, but if you're up for a walk, it isn't really that far from the city centre on a nice summer evening.
Service was extremely friendly from beginning to end. Our server was new, I think it was his second day, but he was funny and delightful and always answered our questions even if he had to ask someone else. Other hosts and servers came to take our coats and offer us water, and we felt very "looked after" all evening.
I had a few glasses of wine - they only do 125 ml and 250 ml, so though I had originally planned on a 175 ml...well, oops! Guess I have to have a big 'un! They had quite a nice list of bottles, offering a variety of choices. We started by splitting the ham terrine with a crispy pig's head fritter, which was very good and must be ordered with bread - they'll bring it to you for free if you ask! Nice toasted bread on a plank with soft butter. The terrine was delicious, and went well with the creamy caper sauce served on top. The little fritter was excellent, filled with tender, flavourful cheek meat. Yum!
I had the hake for my main, which was cooked very well, and was fresh and light. The flavours were subtle and simple, and I think I hoped for a little more close-your-eyes-and-sigh amazingness. My fiancé loved his veal, which I tasted and thought was absolutely excellent. Both dishes were beautifully presented and filled with fresh ingredients. The double-dipped chips were outstanding, as was the seasonal side of rainbow chard. For dessert we shared some kind of luscious chocolate thing (useful I know) with raspberries and a side of fantastic ice cream.
All in all, a great place to go for a celebratory meal. It is a little pricey but very appropriate for the lovely setting, excellent service, and high quality of food. read more