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hand picked restaurants

Newcastle has changed, in some places almost beyond recognition, and it is not just the physical aspects of this vibrant city. Down on the riverfront within easy reach of the millennium bridge, Tate of the North, the Sage Music Centre and Baltic Mills contemporary Arts Centre is another major conversion, the award-winning Malmaison. This one-time cooperative warehouse was formerly a storage facility for grain and cotton from the bustling river trade of the Tyne.

The Malmaison group of hotels has established throughout Britain a collection of centres of excellence where nothing but the best will do. As a concept alone this is exciting, but the reality is brilliant, so that at last there is a hotel group where uniformity of standards is of the same high calibre.

Their 122 bedrooms, which include 14 lavish suites, are exactly what one would expect from a hotel that has genuine regard for its guests and is concerned with every aspect of their wellbeing. Most of them have fantastic views of the River Tyne and the spacious suites on the Chateau floor have personal lounges and little touches like wine and nibbles. The Ark Royal suite, named after the famous WW2 aircraft carrier, exemplifies sheer indulgence with twin baths and two flat screen TVs.

At the hotel's heart is a lively brasserie with strong French influences at play and a widely spread menu that delivers something for everybody. This brasserie is striking and moody with innovative designs and the use of bold colours and decadent fabrics - seductive and alluring rich leather banquettes and chairs are both comfortable and indulgent, while the solid wood table tops and leather place settings are positioned within discreet bays.

Hand tailored paint work of gold and purple curve theatrically toward the candle lit stairway, the top steps of which lead through a heavy velvet drape of rich crimson and once beyond that you enter the intimate and inviting atmosphere, which is the Brasserie. Amidst these elegant surroundings, with spotless gleaming glassware and shining cutlery, an essentially, but not exclusively, brasserie menu is offered by Head Chef Drew Heron and his team.

Lovers of seafood will be delighted to note that their particular needs are well heeded, starting with a delightful halibut with herb crust and creamed leeks or papillotes of sole salmon. Brasserie dishes such as monkfish with chorizo and butter beans rarely fails to please, and a terrine of pheasant is topped with a wild mushroom dressing.

An inspired choice is the chicken Kiev, with roast loin of venison for those seeking by this time a slightly more carnivorous approach. Which leads us neatly to the - wait for it - Mal burger, a 250 gram burger made from ground beef tucked into a floured bap to join bacon and Gruyère, served with homemade relish and some fries.

Over the years the number of outriders surrounding a good honest steak on the plate has grown to unacceptable dimensions. At Malmaison the thought and care is centred on the dry-aged on-the-bone rump and that's it - except for the chips. If you want all the rest go for the side dishes, but steak and real chips on its own takes some beating. Vegetarians are well looked after - the pumpkin and gorgonzola filled gnocchi sounds appealing.

Heading the puddings is the sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce, a triumph of timing and co-ordination, supported by other choices amongst which expect to find a citrus pannacotta, spicy berry compote or splendid chocolate financiers with Clementine sorbet.

The wine list is a symphony of its kind, clearly compiled by an enthusiast who knows his wines well enough not to disappear into a world of hyperbole when describing them.

Their Website is a wealth of information that will, I predict, only serve to increase your resolve to make Malmaison your next stop in Newcastle. It is worth noting that you can also make reservations Online on their Website.

In terms of an overall impression, almost all restaurants tend to slot into a number of groups, and Indian restaurants are the same. So it is particularly impressive when an Indian restaurant sets new standards in a switched on hot-bed of gastronomic fever such as Newcastle on Tyne, where quality eating out is enjoying a surge that exceeds even the greatly increased national interest, this exception to most of the normal rules is Spice Cube.

As owner himself says, - The Spice Cube never looked like a typical curry house and that's something our customers responded to from day one! This starts with the décor, which is modern chic, light and airy, with splashes of restrained colour, giving an aura of relaxed sparkle. Indian culture is on the march in these vibrant surroundings. No wonder then that they were the winners of the North East Regional Curry Final 2010 at South Tyneside College to find the best curry in the North East.

Reliable sources say that India has its own ladies-who-lunch culture, lunch here in this frenzied age, needs to be almost an on the hoof event, but the next best thing is a two course meal with lighter than usual portions chosen from a menu of about 12 dishes. There are light lunches of salads and soups from dishes such as chicken wings, vegetable samosa, chicken or lamb tikka or seekh kebabs in a platter.

As with any self-respecting restaurant it is usually the dinner menu that carries the reputation of the entire team, which here is headed by Ram Trivedi.

Twelve or so starters include crisp parcels filled with seasoned lamb, chicken breast stir fried in chillies, coconut and turmeric dressing, and mustard seed and crisp fried gram flour coated okra. But it is amongst the modern main courses that the skills really begin to show, Indian Railway lamb curry, the tenderest pieces of lamb gently cooked with potatoes in a curry leaf, onion and mustard seed gravy or karawali fish curry, marinated salmon fillets, simmered in coconut, coriander and mustard flavoured spicy sauce.

Amongst the traditional dishes are that all time favourite rogan josh, diced lamb cooked with Kashmiri chillies, fennel and dry ginger powder, murgh handi Lazeez, chicken simmered in brown onion, yoghurt gravy, scented with cardamom and saffron and topped with grated boiled egg, a tandoori kebab platter with Punjabi chicken tikka, chicken wings, tandoori king prawns, seekh kebab, salmon tikka and lamb chops. Amongst the vegetable options are paneer methi malai, creamed fenugreek and Indian cheese cooked with cumin seeds and garlic.

The Early Evening Special, offers a free starter with every main course and accompaniment ordered per person between 5pm to 7pm, perfect when an evening out lies ahead, or for healthy eaters following the 'nothing-after-eight' guideline!

Spice Cube's wine list goes its own way, providing a home for many of the world's unusual wines, with Malbec from South America, Pinot Bianco from Northern Italy, Tintoretto from Spain and plenty of choices amongst cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay. Read much, much more on their Website, particularly arrangements for parties and special occasions.

We hear a great deal about recycling these days -du Vin recycles attractive but sometimes un-loved buildings to restore real gems in the best tradition of British understated style.

Complement that with all that is best in the French bistro ethos, bars that reach out to please, and you have a setting that provides an inspirational background for people to meet, do business, get married, provide a base for golf or fishing, somewhere you can call your own for a private celebration, a spa or - most engagingly - a wine school that breaks the mould.

Think quintessential British style, elegant and unpretentious. Combine this with a great spirit, wit, and an unquestionable devotion to wine, and you have captured the essence of Hotel du Vin.

In Newcastle-on-Tyne du Vin has looked to the Merchant Navy for its location. Shipping Lines rarely used to stint on HQ's and The Tyne Tees Shipping Company long ago had built an impressive Head Office on the heart of Newcastle's historic quayside. Hotel du Vin have maximised this into one of the most luxurious and outstanding hotels in Newcastle.

The hotel has 42 stylish bedrooms and stunning suites. Every room has handsprung mattresses, fine Egyptian linen, deep baths, monsoon showers, plasma TVs, DVDs, air conditioning and high speed wireless internet access. Life's little pleasures are by no mean neglected so there's a cigar shack and a Laroche tasting room where you can take a bibulous journey round the world's finest vineyards with minimal effort, even if you miss out on the airmiles.

In the 2 AA Rosette bistro a choice of nine starters might include braised risotto primavera, smoked salmon, tuna carpaccio with horseradish, and chicken liver parfait and toasted brioche. Main courses pursue much the same line, with wild sea trout with braised peas, and lettuce, new season lamb with garlic, aubergine and samphire, and the shin of beef cooked with carrots, oyster mushrooms, tarragon,

Whilst one might argue that the whole point of being in a du Vin is to snuggle up to the wine list, this list is designed to march with the food and can only be described as superb. With a team who look after the bar and the cigars, there is no room for anything but the best. Service is telepathic in the best possible sense.

Click on their Website for full information on prices, special offers and tariff rates. Hotel du Vin, with fourteen options throughout Britain, awaits your call.

Blackfriars Restaurant, dating back to 1239, is the oldest public dining room in Britain. With the main restaurant originally built to house the refectory for the Dominican Black Friars, and as a working inner-city former monastery, it's unique, certainly Newcastle has nowhere of its ilk elsewhere there. Blackfriars, with its horseshoe of buildings, also houses a number of craft shops, shelters a medieval courtyard used for al fresco dining in the summer, and is time-enduring, for long one of the city's most recognised restaurants and regarded as a Newcastle icon.

As well as the award of 'Best restaurant in the North East/Newcastle' by readers of The Observer, Metro Newspaper, and Hi-Life Dining Club, Blackfriars has also gained an AA Rosette, and inclusion in the Which? Good Food Guide, Hardens and Michelin Guides.

The main candle-lit dining room holds up to 70 covers and lends itself to both intimate and romantic dining, with small inglenooks and hideaway corners, and was voted the 6th most romantic restaurant in the UK. It also serves well for larger dining parties with the dining room split into two levels.

Sourcing seasonal produce from local farms and markets, the award-winning team produces gutsy traditional-British menus including an à la carte, a well-priced set menu, a canapés and buffet menu, accompanied by a large award-winning wine list. The restaurant is served by friendly and professional waiting staff.

Blackfriars is so passionate about local produce that diners only have to glance down at the place mats to glimpse a map of the north east, showing exactly which farm each component of their meal comes from - an original and well-liked feature.

Typical starters might include potted Northumbrian beef with onion jam, rye sourdough and home-made brown sauce; hot smoked Scottish salmon, pea purée and salad of edible flowers, or North Sea scallops with langoustine soup, wilted lettuce and crispy bacon. Main courses also use local, seasonal produce, with rolled Durham belly pork with crackling, duck fat potatoes, girolles and lumbard mustard; risotto of home-smoked North Sea haddock, cockles and bacon and pea spume, or a Hadrian Heritage rib-eye steak, bone marrow butter, roast tomatoes and hand-cut chips. To round off a memorable meal try their Duke Humphrey of Gloucester's custard tart with orange ice cream, or their ever-popular plate of North of England cheeses, celery, grapes, water biscuits and chutney.

The splendour of Blackfriar's ornate medieval Banquet Hall has recently been brought back to life following a year of painstaking and meticulous research and restoration. The celebrated venue, that King Edward III used for receiving royal Scot, Edward Balliol, in 1334, boasts authentic and bespoke banners, chandeliers, wall coverings, stained-glass windows, reclaimed wooden screens, large oak communal dining tables and matching chairs, all created by local craftsmen.

It makes ample provision for their famous Medieval Banquets where suckling pig with all the trimmings, personally introduced by the Chef, is served with honey roast vegetables, complemented by fine wines or strong Benedictine ale, served by buxom wenches and 'monks' at a 30 foot oak table. The hall, which also has its own kitchens, bar and toilet, accommodates 50 guests on large communal tables and is the perfect venue for corporate events, networking groups, functions, wine tastings, educational visits, private parties, anniversaries and weddings.

Although the main restaurant offers a full à la carte service, dining in the communal Banquet Hall and Old Dormitory Rooms lends itself to bespoke menus and full advanced pre-orders.

Whilst quality cuisine and good design features play a significant part in the success of a restaurant such as Blackfriars, this is not to overlook the cellar and wine list, regarded as one of the best to be found in Newcastle. Excellent French wine from Georges Dubeouf starts at £15 or £4 a glass, with over ten more wines by the glass. Carafes remain popular whilst further down the list keep an eye for the Chapel Hill's Shiraz/Grenache, McLaren Vale, a super-heavyweight at a very reasonable £26. Blackfriars also stocks the largest range of bottled local beers and Scottish whiskies in Newcastle.

Click on their Website for further details of their frequent special offers, events, meeting rooms for up to 40 delegates and menu changes.

Number 21 Queen Street, Newcastle has been home to some pretty exciting culinary experiences over the last few years, but longevity has tended not to be amongst their qualities. However, those with a taste for a bet on the side might well be considering that Pan Haggerty is all set to reverse this trend.

What is so special about this restaurant in the burgeoning Newcastle eating out experience? A catering business professional once said 'there are only so many permutations to what you can do with a restaurant - the skill lies in picking the right ones'. One of the most basic of these is that you don't wish to emerge from having a meal, particularly if it has left your wallet with hunger pangs, suffering from those same pangs yourself.

Not everybody wants 'a reet good blow-out' as the saying goes, but most of us want to feel adequately fed, which is where Pan Haggerty really ticks the box. After all it's named after a traditional Northumberland recipe for a good, robust no-nonsense dish of pan-fried layered potatoes and onions topped with cheese. Basic it may be, satisfying and well presented it most certainly is.

Head Chef Simon Wood, formerly of McCoy's at The Baltic and The Grainger Rooms, believes in offering dishes that bring pleasant memories of home cooking at the hands of your Mum, dishes such as braised pork belly, pan-fried duck breast and other British contributions to the well-being of mankind. Food is about enjoyment, not suffering misunderstood anguish about health and personal weight.

Grilled Seahouses kipper with herbed potato salad, lemon and shallot dressing lay the foundation for things to come. Soup nowadays has moved into the realms of the sublime, often, as here, using ingredients such as spiced crab and prawn dumpling to make an exceptionally tasty starter.

Black pudding enjoys a warm reception up north - and increasingly in the south let it be noted. Take Doreen's black pudding and then add a helping of crisp bacon, fried bread, apple compote and homemade brown sauce and what do you have? Total satisfaction and lots of happy customers.

Sit and enjoy beer battered fish and chips, secure in the knowledge that the sea from whence its ingredients came is only a few miles away, properly served with minted mushy peas and tartare sauce. Thoughts of Peach Melba with pistachio and chocolate biscotti could by this time be having a punch-up with the enterprising selection of cheeses gathered from both afar and close to home.

And just in case you're thinking all this is going to cost the earth, think again. For Sunday lunch you will be asked to part with £12.50 for two courses, £15 for three. For more details log on to their Website.

High standards continue at this Pilgrim Street restaurant ever since Hamed Fardoust took over and Secco Ristorante Salentino manages to bring that splash of relaxed sophistication and European joie de vivre to great success in Newcastle.

Enjoy the cocktails at the Secco bar on the first floor and the adjoining blue room is a more intimate bar where diners can unwind with a cocktail. On the floor above, Ristorante Salentino exudes elegance with its specially commissioned artwork, dark wood furniture and classy lighting.

The restaurant's name is a dead giveaway to the type of cuisine on offer there, as the town of Salento in Italy is a treasure trove of gastronomic delights, and the dishes on offer here blend rustic and fresh flavours. Begin with seared beef with horseradish cream, watercress and pecorino Romano shavings; poached and sautéed ox tongue with salsa Verde , watercress and pickled caper berries, or butternut squash soup with rocket pesto and grilled Canestrato cheese.

No Italian menu would be complete without its pasta, so try homemade durum wheat pasta parcels of pork shin with fresh sage, butter and canestrato cheese, or paccheri with prawns, scallop, lemon oil, rosemary and samphire. Traditionalists could plump for the sagne al forno layered with mortadella, eggs, pecorino cheese, tomato and beef.

The main course of stuffed shoulder of Northumberland lamb is accompanied by mint, fennel, scallions, sun-dried tomato and garlic with braised fennel in its own jus. You could also try their beef escalope stuffed with prosciutto di Parma, ewe's milk cheese and basil with cherry plum tomato ragù and waxy potatoes. At dessert time, drool over the sight of vanilla pannacotta with seasonal berries, raspberry coulis and fresh strawberries with mascarpone, or their homemade selection of ice creams.

The well-chosen wine list is divided by region and features Conti Zecca, Nero Rosso del Salento IGT, 2005 from Puglia, this 2002 vintage, a combination of Negroamaro and Cabernet Sauvignon, definitely prompts wine connoisseurs to sit up and take notice.

Located in a city well known for its architectural marvels and a vibrant nightlife, Secco Ristorante Salentino can be termed as a diner's haven where you could treat yourself to some warm Italian hospitality and culinary excellence in surroundings that induce a feeling of escape and indulgence; a sample of what to expect can be found on their Website.

One of Newcastle's most popular Chinese restaurants, Mandarin operates on the banquet basis, starting at £10.80 for the happy hour banquet, and working up to the climax of the imperial at £32 each for a party of six or more.

Enter the restaurant and you are immediately conscious of the mini Chinatown atmosphere with red and gold as prominent colours, pleasantly shaded areas for those seeking an air of intimacy, and smartly dressed staff. Table settings are tastefully presented, and the restaurant is very handy for pre- or post-theatre suppers.

The Chef's banquet, at £25, starts with won ton soup prawn crackers, going on to two appetisers, prawn toast with ribs, and satay chicken skewers, and aromatic duck with pancakes and salad and chef's hoi sin sauce. For main course there are seven choices, including sizzling beef and black bean sauce, sweet and sour pork, or fish with ginger and spring onion. Seasonal fresh fruit provide a refreshing finish.

To those for whom nothing but the best will do there is only one answer, the Imperial banquet, starting with seafood soup and prawn crackers, followed by lobster with ginger and spring onion with seafood platter. Amongst the main courses look for the fillet steak Cantonese, kung bo prawn and cashew nuts, and Mandarin fried rice, before finishing with fresh fruit and liqueur coffee.

The subject of Chinese cuisine linked to wine has frequently been the cause of often heated debate, but here at Mandarin the approach is fairly uncompromising, indeed positive, in that it is assumed you accept food as much steeped in history as that served here, is well able to have a satisfactory liaison with decent wine. Sparklers start with Asti DOCG San Silvestro, going on to Moutard Grande Cuvée.

In the view of many, white wine is an especially good match with Chinese dishes, so think of a Pinot Grigio IGT Cielo e Terra, or a Tuatara Bay Sauvignon Blanc, both of which carry a dryness that seems to bring out the best in the often delicate flavours. Two house wines are listed, II Saporito Chardonnay Garganega and II Saporito Merlot Raboso.

Although Chinese menus tend to change less than European, it is always worth a click on their Website to see the latest listings, or if you are looking for an excellent location for a group or conference venue. Their private room seats up to forty people and is available for a variety of uses.

Inspired by the spicy and tangy flavours of Indian street food, Dabbawal on High Bridge offers a variety of freshly cooked authentic Indian dishes in a vibrant contemporary setting. The restaurant takes its name from the ubiquitous dabbawalas or 'lunchbox men' of the teeming city of Mumbai. Located in the bustling heart of Newcastle, Dabbawal is perfect for a meal before a performance at the Theatre Royal Newcastle or a show at the News Theatre. You could also relax here after a shopping expedition at the Eldon Square Shopping Centre close by or after taking in a Newcastle United game at St. James Park.
 
Dabbawal's tapas style menu is ideal for sharing and also includes a range of classic curry dishes to offer an authentic slice of the Indian eating experience. You could begin with street classics of vada pav, a deep fried potato burger in a bun served with homemade condiments; crispy lamb samosas; chicken chilli fry; bhel puri, a dish of puffed rice tossed with onion and pomegranate in a tangy tamarind sauce and sweet potato chaat. There's also choice of lentil and curry leaf soup and the house signature salad with mango, honey, peanuts and spring onions.

The grill offers chicken cubes marinated in yoghurt with mint, coriander and green chilli; minced lamb marinated in mixed spices, red onion and sweet peppers; salmon in a honey, dill and saffron marinade and king prawns with chilli, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. The special Dabbawal grilled platter offers chicken tikka, lamb chop, citrus prawn, seekh kebab and salmon tikka while a mixed veggie grilled platter delivers a selection of spiced and grilled seasonal vegetables.

For the main course try one of Dabbawal's signature dishes of duck Nilgiri, seven spice coated duck breast served with stir fried spinach in a red wine flavoured sweet and sour sauce; railway lamb curry and saffron pulao, a classic dish of cubed lamb served with baby potatoes in a curry leaf, coconut, mustard seed and onion sauce. More adventurous diners could opt for vindaloo beef, a tenderloin fillet steak marinated in vindaloo spices served with seasonal vegetables. Other classic dishes include spicy south Indian lamb pepper fry; king prawn in a spicy tomato and ginger masala sauce and Indian cottage cheese and mushroom in a cashewnut sauce. The dum biryani, slow cooked aromatic rice with meat or vegetables served with garlic raita and vegetable curry, is a meal in itself.

The restaurant also offers an extensive range of side dishes and accompaniments including freshly prepared breads such as mozzarella and coriander naan, and keema naan with spicy minced lamb. Side orders include tandoori roti; mushroom pulao rice; zesty Bombay potatoes; stir fried okra and spinach; and Kachamber salad of finely chopped onion, tomato and cucumber. A two-course lunch menu is also available and includes roomali wraps with fillings of spicy chicken, seekh kebab and mixed vegetable.

The carefully compiled drinks list complements the food perfectly and offers a selection of cocktails including the house special Dabbawal Martini, which blends raspberry vodka with fresh lime, raspberry puree and crème de framboise shaken and served straight up, as well as white and red wines, champagne, beer and cider and a variety of non-alcoholic drinks.

To gain further information, just visit their extremely comprehensive Website.

Fisherman's Lodge has recently undergone a change of ownership and is now in the capable hands of award winning North East chef patron, Alan O'Kane and backer Jamie Howell. Fisherman's Lodge is a mystical and tranquil rural idyll surrounded by the bustling city of Newcastle. It is hard to believe that the city centre is a mere five minutes away.

Lord Armstrong, Victorian manufacturer of very large whizz-bangs, public benefactor, inventor and the man who introduced electricity to Newcastle, used the Lodge to house the estate manager at Jesmond Dene and the stables, whilst his later country mansion at Cragside was the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectric power.

Today Fisherman's Lodge, tucked away in its leafy woodland gorge in Jesmond Park, serves as a select haven for those who like their earthly pleasures, notably food, drink and good company, in surroundings that in themselves are a source of relaxation and understated comfort. The Victorian structure remains, but its formerly sombre interior has been replaced by a light and airy chic that draws on contemporary design, presenting a riot of vibrant colours, red sofas, black and gold wallpaper and banquette seating in Chinese blue.

Turning to matters of dining the emphasis is firmly on seafood and fish alongside fine Northumberland meat and fresh local produce. Seasonal game also features on the menu from time to time. The character of the man, in this case Alan O'Kane, is such that he prefers simplicity and his zest for flair and flourish is likely to merit a warm response from a wider clientele for whom good eating is a matter of enjoyment without fuss and a recognition of integrity in sourcing and preparation.

Amongst the dishes likely to appeal are starters of white onion and parmesan soup with foie gras ravioli, twice baked soufflé Suisse, and pan fried scallops with Iberico chorizo, tomato jam and ricotta gnocchi. Follow with 'plain and simple' fish of the day, seasonal vegetables and ratte potatoes, or Blagdon Farm duck breast, duck leg pastia, duck scratchings and sour cherry jus. For the connoisseur a sous vide fillet of turbot is likely to appeal, accompanied by mussel clam chowder and crisp Serrano ham. On the lunch and early evening menu coq au vin is making a popular resurgence along with fish (again, of the day) and chips and other traditional dishes.

Happy indeed is the restaurant where the sommelier, here Leon Battaglia, is also an expert in the selection and serving of cheese. With house wine starting at a pleasing £15 a bottle the list finds its way through a wide range of choices drawn mainly from the newer regions where value and quality meet.

A range of menus includes lunch and dinner, with an early evening menu available from Monday to Friday, the ideal place to start an evening out amidst the wide ranging entertainment spectrum within the city. On Sundays a traditional lunch is served. The restaurant is also pioneering a chic brunch menu, to be launched in 'The Terrace at Fisherman's Lodge' at weekends - a new feature designed to provide for more relaxed al fresco style dining - by covering in the terraced patio. The reputation for fine dining remains and the scope will open even further to meet the challenge of the times and changing habits in eating out.

With such a superb location it is hardly surprising that a forte at Fisherman's Lodge is the succession of private parties and business meetings. The Lodge is licensed for wedding ceremonies, and an extensive car park ensures no problems in that direction. Newcastle is fortunate indeed that such a fine asset for public entertainment and pleasure is located at its heart.

For up to date developments and news a click on their Website will prove informative.

Stylish contemporary interiors and a vibrant atmosphere with live music and entertainment, on selected evenings, has helped Fratello's Bar and Restaurant at the Holiday Inn Newcastle-Jesmond make its mark. Watch the world go by from its floor-to-ceiling windows while relaxing in an airy spacious setting with booth seating. Serving authentic Italian cuisine with a modern twist, this 75-cover venue is where you can head for an intimate meal for two, a lite bite during the day or enjoyable evening dinner with family and friends. 
 
The restaurant's glass fronted kitchen offers guests a view of the chefs at work. It's à la carte menu features an extensive and varied choice of freshly prepared dishes, including wood-fired pizzas, created with the best ingredients. Starters include Italian favourites such as aubergine parmigianino, chargrilled aubergine drizzled with olive oil and baked in tomato sauce with basil and parmesan; calamari frito, fried squid with lemon mayonnaise and wilted rocket leaves, and salad of buffalo mozzarella with sun blush tomato and pesto-dressed leaves. Pizzas and pasta dishes have been given a modern slant with locally sourced ingredients like crab, salmon, scallops and prawns partnering the traditional Italian flavours of basil, plum tomatoes and parmesan.
 
Main course meat dishes include char grilled, matured sirloin steak from the Wallington Hall Estate in Northumberland in a cream and peppercorn sauce with chips as well as pork fillet wrapped in pancetta and served with crushed new potatoes, a tian of vegetables and a balsamic reduction. Fish lovers can enjoy sea bass served with borlotti beans, wilted spinach and pancetta lardons. An express lunch menu on weekdays offers more options.
 
Round off the delicious meal with a tempting selection of puddings including white chocolate and Amaretto mousse served with Beckleberry's raspberry ice cream and fresh fruit salad accompanied by cinnamon syrup and thick cream from a dairy in Durham.
 
Special offers include dinner for two with a bottle of wine for £29. Enjoy a fruity cocktail, glass of wine or favourite brand of beer in the relaxed terrace bar. Pre and post theatre as well as takeaway menus are available. For that party you are planning, it's possible to hire the whole restaurant and celebrate in style. Click on their Website for further information.