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 new 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 eggs Benedict - 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 (Loch Fyne and Oldfield's since you ask) to join the team. Olives, almonds and home made bread dominate the menu viewing period, before setting about the opening course of perhaps steamed mussels in coconut milk with lime and coriander, a cassoulet of pork belly, white beans, tomatoes and pancetta with either Toulouse or Merguez sausage, or their signature dish of seared scallops served on carpaccio of organic beef with pickled wild mushrooms.

Whitebait with lemon aioli, a posh beef burger of Aberdeen Angus, and a Stilton rarebit with walnut and mixed leaves salad 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 8oz Northumbrian sirloin steak, hung for not less than 21 days, with a choice of sauces.

Salads are not forgotten, with a choice of four, 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 cappuccino tiramisu, through banoffee pie cheesecake with chocolate milkshake, eggy bread, old fashioned treacle tart, or chocolate torte.

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 £11.75

This is a really great restaurant that richly deserves to succeed and will certainly go into my little black book. For further details click on their Website and sign up for their Newsletter.