Newcastle upon Tyne
Du Vin Bistro

Du Vin Bistro

City Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom, Newcastle upon Tyne

Steak • Bistro • Vegetarian • Sandwiches


"Visited for festive afternoon tea on Christmas Eve. Arrived to the young man on reception who wasn’t particularly friendly. He seemed reluctant to answer our questions and wanted us to hurry and sit down (there was nobody else waiting to be seen and the phone...wasn’t ringing so not exactly busy). Seated in the bar area as dogs aren’t allowed in the bistro. We knew this in advance so not a problem. It was really cold inside. They had the fire going but it was a large area and my hands and face were freezing. The fire wasn’t nearly enough to heat the room. Barman was friendly and cheerful. Our waiter was very nice, friendly and helpful. We were served our tea, which was extremely disappointing. The scones were tiny and very dense. No clotted cream, whipped cream compressed in a dish. The sandwich’s were on stale bread. One sandwich was just butter and cucumber! Turkey and cranberry and cheese and pickle were nice. Egg was bland and under seasoned. The salmon option my husband spat out in to a napkin and told me not to eat it. The cakes, with the exception of the carrot cake, were horrible. They all tasted the same, we took a little taste from each one hoping something would be nice and they were all stale tasting and had a bit of a plastic like taste, as if they’d all been stored in a smelly plastic tub all together. My husband didn’t touch any of them. I wanted to complain but my husband really doesn’t like to and when the manager walked past and asked if we were ok, my husband replied yes we’re ok thank you as he doesn’t like to make a scene, especially when we’ve just received the food so were hopeful it might get better. When we finished the waiter asked how it was and I said my honest opinion. He got the manager who was immediately defensive and standoffish. He said everything was made fresh when we arrived. I don’t believe that and even if that was the case, the bread was still stale. He suggested the cakes may not be to our taste because they’re vegan and they like to cater for everyone (yet served with meat, fish and dairy). I actually have family members who are vegan so have eaten plenty of vegan foods and desserts, all of which are very nice. He said “fine I won’t charge you for the tea” whilst shrugging his shoulders. I said we did have some drinks too to ensure we were charged for these as there was no problem with our drinks and he said “oh don’t worry I will be charging for those”. No apology, no merry Christmas (our visit was on Christmas Eve), just rudeness. The waiter however was very friendly and wished us well. We did have a stay arranged here with another couple but be sure to know that’s been promptly cancelled. What a shame the manager really lets this place down, along with the stale afternoon tea. Decor of the hotel is great and really to our taste."

House of Tides

House of Tides

28-30 The Close, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3RF, United Kingdom

Cafés • Sushi • Seafood • Mexican


"Dinner House of Tides, Quayside, Newcastle Celebrating 10 years and still going strong. A multi award winning restaurant on the banks of the Tyne,in a Grade I listed 17th century merchant house. Looks can be deceiving as when we looked through the window earlier while passing,it looked empty. We didn't realise that was the bar and the restaurant was upstairs. It was a good job we booked as it was full to capacity. The ground floor is like an old pub where you can have a pre-dinner drink.The dining room is on the first floor, with a view out over the river. The menu is a simple choice. Well, it's a set five course tasting menu £98. Having said that, they have changed it slightly as there's also a seven-course from February £130. Snacks were a Jeruselum Artichoke Dashi Custard and a mouth-watering Croissant,black garlic,winter truffle. Sourdough Bread with whipped toasted sunflower seed butter. Salt Baked BBQ Swede Goats cheese mousse,hazelnut,kale Whitby Crab,butternut squash,coriander, curry spiced granola. Salt Aged Beef Tartare with Lincolnshire poacher. Served with a Beef Fat Brioche on the side. Hen of the Woods,smoked pan-roasted, truffled potato puree, hazelnuts chive. Star of the show,Main course Rare breed pork,belly loin,bok choy,onion black garlic. Desserts. Yorkshire Rhubarb Dark chocolate orange crémeux,coffee praline. These were extra dishes from the new menu. The kitchen technique is good, and the service was charming, attentive yet relaxed, and friendly. Strong Michelin star cooking and reasonable value."

Zucchini Pasta

Zucchini Pasta

55 Degrees North Pilgrim Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom, NE1 6BL, Newcastle upon Tyne

Pasta • Asiatic • Italian • European


"I booked the premium pasta making masterclass for my partners birthday and I haven't stopped raving about it since. The restaurant was super helpful and accommodated a time change and then a further last minute change. On arrival we were relieved with a warm welcome. We met Chris our host and he made us feel at ease instantly! We were left to relax for a little while with a portion of Zucchini's famous garlic bread and we tried pasta crisps for the first time. We both said we would pick on the crisps throughout the session. But they wete so delicious we ended up eating them all in about 20 mins..... they were fab! The session itself was easy to follow and Chris signposted what we were doing at every step and then let us relax and make the pasta ourselves once he knew we understood. He was so attentive and kept popping over to make sure we all good. After the made the pasta we had the luxury of sitting a little bit off from the main restaurant. We were served 2-3 plates of our 5 pastas but actually only at 2 plates and we were stuffed! Chris helpfully packed all our pasta away for us and packed it in takeout boxes for us to take home. We both felt so well looked after and welcomed at Zucchinis! I would highly recommend the pasta making class to anyone. So worth the money and knowledge you leave with. Special shout out to Chris who was amazing from start to finish! A true asset to the business!"

Neptune

Neptune

Chinatown Newcastle, NE1 4YB, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

Soup • Fish • Asian • Lunch


"We opted for a la carte rather than 'banquet' style and ordered prawn toast, chili salt squid as starters, followed by chili salt king prawns, Szechuan chicken, crispy beef in Cantonese sauce, and fried rice. Our drinks included two small Proseccos and a pint of John Smith's. The good: the chili squid, chili king prawn, and fried rice were very good. The bad: they didn't provide chopsticks, only forks. They also no longer have the heating plates they used to, so the food cools down quickly on cold plates, affecting the quality. The crispy beef was only average and became unappetizing once it cooled down. The Szechuan chicken lacked flavor. The Prosecco came in tiny 200 ml bottles at £7.20 each, which seemed overpriced considering you can get them for £2.50. The John Smith's was priced at £3.90, which was fair. The service was weak, with only 3 people serving in total, and we had to remind them about forgotten drinks and dishes. Considering the total cost was just over £83, this was a forgettable experience, no better than a decent quality takeaway meal. The restaurant seemed run down with no atmosphere, and playing Abba songs in a Chinese restaurant seemed out of place. The disinterested staff and the fact that only 7 people were eating at 3 tables when we left at 9.10 summed it up. We won't be returning, sadly, as we had great memories of the Neptune. Unless you're okay with a Chinese restaurant lacking atmosphere, chopsticks, average food at high prices, and disinterested staff, you may want to consider eating elsewhere."