I had no idea this place existed, but we found it on a random Friday night while hanging around…read moreJesmond. Easy to get in, even on a Friday without booking, though there were plenty of other patrons around. Interior is very swanky for Newcastle - looks like the kind of place you find in a much bigger city. You don't need to dress up, but you certainly good. A stylish, dimly light atmosphere with colourful touches all around.
I started with a cocktail, the delicious (and pretty big!) Sohe Collins, which has rose-petal infused gin, elderflower syrup, rose soda water, and lemon juice, and is basically everything I like in a drink. So pretty and pink too! £6.95 for that, so quite good price really given the size and the hand-crafted nature of it. Took a while for the drinks to come, but they are all unique and clearly somebody is thoughtfully preparing them behind the bar.
The three of us split the fried squid and soft shell crab for a starter, along with prawn crackers. These were £5.50 and £8 respectively. All were very lightly breaded and fried, maintaining a crisp exterior, and served with variety of yummy sauces and even a seasoned salt to sprinkle over. Attention was certainly paid to presentation, with all the dishes looking beautiful on the plate.
Then I went with the North Thai Yellow Chaing Rai, a curry with breaded pork, prawns, spinach, edamame, and green beans. It was a bright yellow curry, not terribly spicy, a very big portion! For £16.50 you'll be very full, I couldn't finish it. I found it a bit salty, but all the vegetables were fresh, the meats were cooked very well, and the presentation was lovely.
Everyone found their meals very tasty, it's definitely a cut above your average restaurant. Tone down the salt, and it would be even better! Service was friendly, and it's a great place to go for a slightly more upscale night out.