Well what a find this place was! Chosen by a colleague for a mid-week company meal/night out, this is a cracking restaurant sitting on Ponteland's main street
Just the other side of the Airport, Ponteland is very easy to get to from the hustle'n'bustle of Newcastle by car (fair amount of parking around the back of the restaurant) or by bus/taxi if you're planning to sample the beverages on offer in the local pubs. A nice alternative to your offerings in the Toon.
According to their website, the restaurant is named after the famous Rialto Bridge which sits over the Grand Canal in Venice. The claim is that this restaurant sits in a similarly romantic position over the historic River Pont. Little bit of artistic license required here, not sure you can compare the balmy Ponteland evening climate to that you'll get in Venice, but it is still a very nice setting! Anyway, one can but dream.
So, we were there on a mid-week evening, as a party of 18. The restaurant was fairly busy but there was plenty of room for us lot nonetheless. The waiters were typically Italiano in their nature, which added to the charm of the place, and the service was very prompt indeed.
Appetisers came as a plethora of garlic breads, fresh out the oven and very tasty indeed. Our orders were taken at the same time, so the starters followed soon after. I opted for a chicken and bacon salad, but was a little disappointed what came given it was mostly salad (iceberg lettuce) with some chicken and a bit of bacon dotted about. However, the other starters looked pretty darn tasty, so think I just picked poorly!
The meal was quickly redeemed by the main course. A superb fillet steak, cooked to a medium-well perfection, a delicious provencal sauce, side of chips/wedges - this was a seriously good piece of steak. A lot of our party opted for the various steak options, whilst others went for the pizza/pasta choices - have to say I'd not have been disappointed with any of the dishes that came out.
Dessert was my standard choice of sticky toffee pudding. As last time, I've had better and I've had worse. Didn't stop me clearing the plate, but I'm starting to wonder how STP can be made to such an average standard.
Overall, a very nice meal indeed. Few areas of improvement but am giving 4* for the steak plus the jovial atmosphere (and very nice house red as well).
So, if you're getting fed up of the same old, same old offerings in Newcastle, why not book yourself a table here, get yourself out into this little corner of Northumberland and give somewhere different a go! read more
