Two foodies hungry for adventure…
Two foodies hungry for adventure…
If you love food and/or pictures of it then you’re in the right place. We’re North Taste – two foodies documenting great food and drink in the North East and beyond. We aim to post real, honest food reviews of the places we eat and are always looking for suggestions for places to try! Get in touch at northtasteuk@gmail.com or check out our Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/northtasteuk/) for fun foodie adventures.
This. Place. Is. Brilliant.
Fisherman’s Bay is hands down the best fish and chips we’ve eaten in a long time, and as if that’s not enough, they do a FOOT LONG PIG IN A BLANKET. That’s a pig in a blanket, that’s a foot long and deep fried in crispy batter. We’re not joking.
We rocked up on a Friday night after a particularly gruelling week at work, in desperate need of a pre-weekend boost. We were not disappointed. Don’t be fooled by the classic chip shop facade, although if you do live locally you can takeaway. The back of the restaurant has loads of cosy little tables nestled amongst little touches of seaside decor.
The food is just FAB. Like honestly, 10/10. If you’re in the mood for fish and chips (and let’s face it, who’s ever not in the mood for a fish supper?) then you’ll love it here. It’s like a classic takeaway got an upgrade. Light, crispy batter, perfectly cooked fish and a basket of proper chip shop chips. We couldn’t resist the festive foot long pig in a blanket either and wow. A Hodgson’s sausage wrapped in maple syrup streaky bacon and battered – bliss!
Definitely couldn’t recommend this enough to anyone around Whitley Bay/Newcastle. Fab staff and service, incredible food and great atmosphere!
Pics coming soon…
Rockliffe Hall is five-star luxury through and through. If you’re looking for that little extra touch or a luxe escape from city life, then you really want to find yourself here. The drive to The Clubhouse restaurant takes you past the impressive facade of the hotel itself, and wends through the picture perfect gold course before you arrive at The Clubhouse. All visitors are greeted by the adorable topiary golfer who faces the restaurant, which makes golfers and non-golfers (us!) alike feel very welcome!
We were greeted by both friendly and knowledgeable staff who made us immediately welcome. When you’re dining in The Clubhouse you’re treated to incredible views of the perfectly manicured lawns, but the whole place still has a very distinct ‘relaxed’ vibe. We both felt completely at ease as though we were watching the sunset at our own table at home (well, if we had a golf course, excellent personal chef and an idyllic view, which we don’t!).
The food was amazing. There are no other words for it. The chef absolutely outdid themselves and the portions were huge (absolute bonus). We had the steak pie (would recommend) which was ENORMOUS and came with the richest red wine gravy, savoy cabbage and incredibly creamy mash, plus the scampi which was fab for the pescatarian among our number The scampi actually came with a little wedge of lemon inside a muslin bag which was a really nice touch as there is honestly nothing worse than squeezing a lemon over fish and having to pick out the sticky little lemon pips immediately after. No thanks. The scampi was also served with BEEF DRIPPING CHIPS (the dreamiest of chips) which were phenomenal.
The puds were also exceptional – we went for meringue and a classic sticky toffee pudding. Honestly, we tried, but we could only manage half before we accepted defeat. The puddings were really first class though. The way the chef put together seasonal berries, cream and the subtle flavours in the homemade meringue really put a nice twist on a classic dessert. The sauce for the STP was heavenly too and it was really quite difficult to resist the urge to pocket the remainder for later (fortunately one of us is sensible and persuaded the other this was a bad idea).
The Clubhouse is open to everyone, not just members so if you fancy a round of golf or even just a stroll through the beautiful grounds we would definitely recommend this place! Absolutely fab for a relaxed lunch or for watching the sunset over the grounds with dinner and a glass of wine (or two!). Fabulous staff, incredible chef and wonderful views to boot – a thoroughly enjoyable experience all round!
September is one of our favourite months, namely because both of our birthdays are in September which means a LOT of foodie indulgence.
We decided to treat ourselves by booking dinner and a room at Seaham Hall Hotel and Spa (good to ourselves, eh?). Upon arrival you’re met with a view of the infamous Vortex, which really sets the tone for the whole stay – Seaham is the epitome of luxury and elegance. The staff were absolutely amazing and after dropping our things in our room we headed off to explore the spa (may have found the bar on the way too). Again, the staff could not have been more helpful, and if you’re after a relaxing spa break then YOU NEED TO VISIT THIS PLACE. We won’t go into detail about the spa as this is a foodie blog but suffice to say – it was LUSH. Like seriously, wow.
After a quick glass of prosecco in the lounge, we were lead through to Seaham’s luxuriously decorated Dining Room restaurant. As we were being indulgent, we went for the three courses. We started with beef tartare and Whitby crab, followed by North Sea Halibut and Thickelby duck with blackcurrant. The puds were to die for too – amazing salted caramel tart with raspberries and almonds and the richest chocolate fondant ever. Check out the insta for more pics (we took an embarrassing amount).
If you fancy a luxury escape then we would 10/10 recommend. Absolutely can not fault Seaham Hall, easily the best hotel we’ve ever stayed in and the food was just perfect. As always, we love hearing your stories too so comment or hit us up on Instagram.
Remember Gotham, that night club/bar by the station? Yeah, probably best not to, fair enough. Although we all spent many a wild night falling down the stairs in Gotham, it’s now been replaced by the much cooler, more foodie and *much* less sticky Gunner Tavern.
Unable to resist the temptation of their brand new menu, we met up with a bunch of the most wonderful foodies the toon has to offer, to try it out. We were not disappointed. It was gastro pub galore with gunpowder chicken, luxe fish n chips, falafels, sliders and some very extra hot dogs. Not to mention the vegan ice cream from Nothern Bloc topped by waffles, chocolate sauce and berries to finish ( the actual DREAM).
We’d definitely recommend the Gunner for the fab service, great atmosphere and top scran – get yourselves down there and let us know what you think! We’re also looking for recommendations on the Newcastle food scene just now so head over to the ‘gram and get tagging your fave places if you’ve got some foodie must-try spots in mind!
TOP PICK ALERT!
If you’ve not been to Newcastle’s hottest new foodie spot yet, then get yourself down there NOW! Soju & Gogi opened it’s doors just two weeks ago but it’s fun take on eating out is already taking Newcastle by storm.
If you’re after amazing service, delicious Korean food and drop-dead gorgeous decor, this place is for you. We loved the whole experience, from the warm welcome to our very own personal hot plate.
Starters come ready to eat with a smile from your waiter, and they look as good as they taste. We recommend the honey and sesame chicken wings although let’s face it, we’d happily eat everything!
For the mains you get to fire up your personal hot-plate, sunken into your table and ignited by your waiter. Simply order your meat of choice and cook it right there in front of you just how you like it. We were unsure about tis at first (why go out to cook when you can cook at home right?). Just trust us on this one though, this is like nothing you’ve ever seen on your hob at home. Your fish, meat or vegetables come with lettuce wraps which you can stuff and enjoy with what can only be described as the best sauce in the world. Seriously, they need to bottle that stuff.
We definitely recommend ordering a side – they do a delicious Korean dish of rice and vegetables served in a hot stone bowl with an egg cracked on top. We’re still thinking about this one, it was just incredible and beats egg fried rice any day.
Soju and Gogi goes straight onto our top picks list because it’s amazing for a healthier eat and because the food was honestly so amazing. Let us know what you think if you get a chance to check it out because we can’t get over it – easily one of the best meals we’ve ever had in Newcastle!
If you haven’t been living under a rock but you have been living in Newcastle for the past year or so you’ll have heard of HWKR MRKT. We have (obviously), and as we live fairly nearby we’ve visited a few (hundred) times, because it’s home to some of the BEST street food in town.
You can trot the entire globe in just a few steps, enjoying everything from parmos to pizza to puds. Some stalls change every few weeks but one that’s been there routinely also happens to be one of our faves – Cakes Contour. They serve up everything from Lotus Biscoff rocky road to strawberry milkshake cupcakes (would recommend) and are easily the friendliest bakers in town.
Plus you NEED to check out their selection of handmade cakes for big events (see them here). We just wish we had a birthday coming up so we’d have an excuse to order one! As always let us know what you think in the comments, and tag us in your @cakes_contour pics on Insta for a shoutout!
If you’re after something a little different then Pizza Punks is the place for you. They do fab sourdough bases with over 100 different topping combinations, so you can either pick from staff faves or create your own.
Toppings range from the bold to the bizarre, with everything from chorizo and candied bacon to mac and cheese (we weren’t quite rogue enough to go for that one).
The atmosphere is fun and easy-going, plus the staff can not do enough for you. Big shout out to Alex who served us last time we went for being so amazing!
Definitely a hot spot if you fancy a chilled out date night and perfect for a fun night out with friends. If you’ve been let us know what you think in the comments or let us know on Instagram 😉
This week we’re really excited about NE1’s restaurant week, because who doesn’t love a bargain?
TOP PICKS
Must-try deals this week are served up by Umai Mi, The Broad Chare , Dabbawal and Pizza Punks. All are offering £10 and £15 deals and of course, amazing food. Umai Mi is your go-to for oriental amazing-ness, and provides a relaxed atmosphere that still feels like a night out, whilst Broad Chare combines the traditional feel of a gastro pub with knock-out cuisine. We’re loving the hidden gem that is Dabbawal, which serves traditional Indian food with a modern twist, with the friendliest staff in the world (probably). For a more laid-back night out that still has the wow factor, we love Pizza Punks. They serve everything from the bizarre to the just plain amazing in a way that (somehow) just WORKS. We love the decor, love the atmosphere and LOVE the pizzas – definitely one to try.
North Taste