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hand picked restaurants

Take an abandoned signal box, add a saloon coach from the Great Northern Railway, spice well and you have what is probably one of the most unusual Indian restaurants in the country. The atmosphere is lively with a good mix of customers, including the local business fraternity. A specialty of the house is chilli chingri masala, super king prawns barbecued and cooked in specialty blended hot spices.

Perched high on the roof of the eclectic Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art is Six Restaurant, where stunning panoramic views come together with fresh and simply prepared Modern British food, resulting in a most memorable and satisfactory culinary experience. Service is excellent and the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly while the location adds another positive factor to the overall ambience. Executive chef Richard Sim brings his trademark style of unfussy food, prepared from top quality locally sourced produce and ingredients, to the menu.

From the a la carte, don't miss starters of crispy belly of pork and roast scallops with quince puree whilst the main course of pan fried halibut with crushed Heritage potatoes, caper and shrimp butter is excellent. For a steak lover, the 12 oz sirloin, served with green pepper sauce, chunky chips, tomatoes and mushrooms, is an appropriate choice. There's a delightful selection of desserts, which could include gingerbread parfait served with figs in brandy, and a wine list which covers Europe and the New World comprehensively.

What makes Gekko different is not just its menu, which is probably the most extensive in Newcastle, but the freshness of the food. The dishes that are suitable for buffet, such as Indian food, Thai and Texmex are available in a 64 dish help yourself buffet. However other varieties, best served fresh, are cooked to order. So if you want noodles, these are cooked on the wok in front of you. Sushi is made freshly every hour and is served with wasabi and other popular sauces. You can order marinated skewers, and watch them sizzle on the char grill.

Try the Malaysian chicken curry and hot and spicy white bait for mains while starters could consist of nachos with cheese and seaweed. If you prefer pizza then meat feast with ham, pepperoni and chicken topping may appeal to you. For dessert a fine selection of cakes, flan, cookies, tarts and muffins are at hand.

The cooking is fairly widely spaced here but in general the trend is towards the Mediterranean. Widely used by the business community and students alike it could expected to attract some criticism but in fact there seems to be very little, with positive comment on the staff and the consistency of the food. The décor is trendy and blends in well with whatever your interpretation is of Paradiso.

Starters could include grilled marinated sardines served with beetroot and orange salad and cumin dressing or homemade spicy fishcake served with a fennel and orange salad and a mint and yoghurt dressing, followed by speciality dishes like Moroccan tagine of lamb with dried prunes, cinnamon, toasted sesame seeds and fresh pomegranate, new potatoes with mint and lemon and coriander flat bread or Royal Thai fish casserole, a rich casserole of king prawns, scallops, salmon and mussels with coriander, lemon grass and lime leaf.

With amazing views of the North Sea, The Roker Hotel has been a well known Sunderland landmark for decades. The Victorian building attracts guests with its looks, facilities and classy restaurants, one of which is the Tavistock Italia. With its sleek Manhattan style interior, Tavistock Italia offers guests a traditional Italian menu with pizzas, pasta, fish, meat and poultry dishes all freshly prepared using locally sourced ingredients.
 
A meal here could begin with starters of calamari fritti, salad of Parma ham, fine salami and roasted figs or tender pork ribs braised in Italian herbs and spices. Follow up with pasta al salmone, served with asparagus and spinach in a tomato and cream sauce or a saffron flavoured risotto with chorizo sausage and sun dried tomato. Other main courses include osso buco - traditional dish of braised beef in a rich red wine sauce with dauphinoise potatoes, bread crumbed breast of chicken or fish ragout with salmon, cod, king prawn and queen scallops. The menu also includes a variety of stone baked pizzas and a selection of desserts including tiramisu, pannacotta and traditional Italian ice creams.

The lively La Tasca chain caters for parties, children's events and family gatherings in addition to anytime dining. These restaurants capture well the warm and vibrant spirit of Spain, and are best known for their tapas and traditional paellas.

Their star player is tapas, which can be had solo or in tandem with a meal. The calamares andaluza, deep-fried squid rings, served with roasted garlic mayonnaise and lemon, is great for sharing, while the chorizo frito al vino, spicy Spanish sausage flavoured with paprika, garlic and herbs, sautéed in red wine, offers a real treat. Chicken lovers order alitas de pollo, marinated chicken wings, or have skewers of chicken breast and pepper, marinated in paprika.

Valenciana is an interesting paella that combines seafood with chicken, and if you have a taste for trivia, you may be surprised to learn that 'la paella' actually refers to the utensil in which the dish is cooked.

Other than liqueurs and beer, there are wines from Spanish vineyards and sparkling cava. All of these, especially the dry rosé wines combine well with tapas. And you would be really getting into the spirit of things if you rounded off with the crema Catalana, traditional Spanish-style vanilla custard, topped with caramelised sugar.

La Tasca Spanish Tapas Restaurants and Bars today have over sixty outlets across the UK, so it is odds on there is a branch fairly close to your home.