So, today I went to Newcastle because I really wanted to try this restaurant that had been popping up all over my Facebook News Feed for some unbeknown reason. In fairness I think a lot of my friends had tried it out and 'Liked' the Facebook page and naturally it just happened to force itself in my direction too. However I'm very glad it did. I went with a friend to George's Great British Kitchen and had reserved a table for 1.30pm which gave us enough time to get into Newcastle early and do what we do best - shopping! I booked the table online and the process was very simple and I received a very prompt confirmation email to follow with all of my details.
We rocked up about ten minutes early but were greeted warmly by extremely pleasant staff and asked to sit in the bar area until they sorted our table for us which was perfectly fine as we were early. Sitting in the bar gave me the opportunity to look around at the great decor which was quite rustic yet clean-looking at the same time. I loved the beach huts too because they gave a fun British summer's day vibe. Unfortunately we weren't seated in a hut but when I go back again this is a must!
Less than 5 minutes of sitting and we were taken to our table and given all the menus we needed. I'd heard the premium gins were essential to try, therefore when our drinks server took our order I chose the Caorunn which was a double measure of sweet gin infused with apple, a dash of blackberry syrup with Fever-tree tonic. All I have to say is mmm! Really delicious and sweet and I loved the goblet presentation of the drink because it made it feel really sophisticated - which is essential for all gin consumers.
After sampling my drink I moved on to choosing a starter from the main menu. I really liked the style of the menus as they were in the form of a British-style newspaper which added a really quirky and traditional feel to the experience. After scowering for several minutes we opted for the incredible-sounding halloumi and vine tomato skewers to share. The starter came very quickly and was piping hot - as it should be! There were three small skewers served on a bed of chickpea and spinach masala. These were absolutely mouth-watering and I could've had at least six more skewers at the very least. All of the flavours combined worked really well and considering I'm not a No.1 fan of spinach I felt as though it complimented the rest of the ingredients.
After the starter plates were cleared in fantastic timing the mains were sharp on their way and I had ordered from the Lunch Menu the Inka grilled wild ocean cod which was served with sweet potato mash, button mushrooms and tomato and herb salsa. I really have nothing bad to say because again this dish was up to an extremely high standard. Everything was cooked to perfection and I particularly enjoyed the sweet potato mash as it paired well with the contrasting flavours of the salsa. The dish was accompanied by some fish 'n' chip shop style chips but I didn't eat many of those as in all honesty I'm not a massive chip lover!
After filling our tummies with the scrumptious starter and mains it's safe to say we had no room left for dessert. However, as this experience was so pleasant I have every intention of returning to sample some of their sweets.
All in all, I had a great time dining out at this restaurant and the hype it had been given certainly met with my impressions. One small gripe (which isn't very big at all) would possibly be the fact that there was some hardened candle wax on the table which visually didn't look great but had no real disturbance to our meal our experience. Our server did notice this himself and apologised, but really we weren't all that bothered about this.
I'd definitely recommend you treat yourself and dine out at George's Great British Kitchen if you enjoy traditional British food but with a bit of an exciting twist. And as a gin lover myself the bar and selection of premium gins are reason enough to get yourself there and do some tasting. And if you can't get yourself to Newcastle there's one in Nottingham too. Hooray!
Great experience.
Check out the menus online: www.georgesgreatbritishkitchen.co.uk
