Starters and Puds

Down in the bowels of Newcastle upon Tyne, at 2-6 Shakespeare Street to be precise, are the vaults of the former Bank that once operated here. Nowadays they make an intriguing home for Starters and Puds, a restaurant which has brilliantly developed the spaces where the money used to be stashed away.

In addition to that piece of initiative they have abandoned the standard concept of the three course meal and concentrate instead on a British version of the Mediterranean tapas touch. And who are they? None other than a father and daughter team, David and Sarah Burrow, who should be congratulated for their courage in taking on tradition in one of the country's most conventional cities, though the adapted vaults have emerged well in their new role.

Their aim is to give their customers real choice, not only of food and drink, but also of an area in which to unwind. How often have you surveyed the choices on a three course meal say, and thought you could well do with investing your whole appetite in one, perhaps two particular dishes? And this freedom applies to size as well - you want a larger bowl of mussels - no problem, except 'how large?'

At the culinary helm of this piece of outside-the-box thinking is Lee Campbell, who moved up from Durham, from Loch Fyne and Oldfield's since you ask, to join the team. Olives, homemade bread and a selection of Spanish cured meats dominate the menu viewing period, before setting about the opening course of perhaps Holy Island mussels in a tomato, garlic and chilli sauce, organic lamb and heritage potatoes served with braised red cabbage, or their signature dish of seared scallops served on cauliflower puree, with rum soaked raisins, beetroot puree and shiso cress.

Garlic king prawns, a bacon and cheese burger of Kielder Organic beef, and a proper Welsh rarebit with mature Blue cheese mixed with Guinness and mustard are perhaps enough to ensure that this might develop into a one selection venture, but no!, blown into the water by a concession to the traditionalists, with an organic minute steak, thinly sliced, pan-roasted and topped with a fried quails egg.

Salads are not forgotten, with a choice of four including tomato and mozzarella with artichoke hearts, blue cheese and pear, Greek and breakfast, followed by what is euphemistically called 'the bit on the side', chunky chips, garlic bread and delicious roast sweet potato wedges. But the puds are something else starting with a lemon meringue pie, through banoffee pie cheesecake with chocolate milkshake, sticky toffee pudding or pannacotta.

A wine list must feel singularly at home in the vaults, even if they were built with financial considerations in mind, and though at this stage modest the choice is excellent, rarely above £20 and with nine by the glass. House wine starts at £12.75

This is a really great restaurant that richly deserves to succeed. For further details click on their Website and sign up for their Newsletter.

For further details click on their Website and sign up for their Newsletter.