We Try a Brand-New Restaurant on Newcastle Quayside
Dakota has opened on Newcastle Quayside, and we went along to try out the hotel's restaurant, The Grill
Keen to see what the fuss is about, we take a stroll along the river one sunny evening and cross the smart courtyard at the front of the hotel, entering the dark, moodily-lit space. Passing through the chic bar area we’re immediately led into the restaurant, from where we can catch glimpses of the Millennium Bridge through the blinds. The interiors here are contemporary and cool, all dark wood and leather, low lighting and plenty of cosy, private booths.
We’re soon sipping two chilled glasses of Crémant as we examine the menu, which contains a selection of snacks, starters and carefully-chosen mains, followed by the star of the show – The Grill section. We can’t come to a restaurant called ‘The Grill’ and not order steak – so we make our choice carefully.
Before that, we’re brought a fresh roll of treacle bread, perfect for tearing into chunks and dredging through the Venetian dip – a rich pomodoro base with goats’ cheese and mascarpone. Service is super-slick – efficient without being impersonal – and the empty dish has barely been whisked away when our starters arrive. I’ve chosen a king scallop with pork cheek, black pudding and apple, while my partner enjoys a delicious homemade chicken ravioli with pancetta, parmesan and egg yolk (this is also available as a main course, and on a future visit I’d definitely be tempted to order it).
A bottle of zesty Picpoul de Pinet has been chilling in an ice bucket nearby, and a glass each complements both starters perfectly.
For the main event, we couldn’t resist ordering the chateaubriand, grilled over hot coals – and we’re glad we did. The pink-flushed slices are buttery, delicate and tender, packed with flavour and perfectly cooked. Alongside we have French fries (salty and crisp) and a chopped house salad, while our peppercorn sauce is left mostly unused (as delicious as it is, the steak simply doesn’t need it). We dip the fries in it instead.
My partner has never read the words ‘lemon posset’ without immediately ordering one, and Dakota’s is a fine example, zesty and smooth, without being overly sweet. It’s quite a portion too (topped with mini meringues and raspberry sorbet), so I’m glad I’ve chosen petit fours (delicious truffles and macarons), which I pick at while I sip a smooth espresso.
It’s late, but still light outside, when we leave our table, and we’re not sure we want the night to be over just yet. A quick drink (or two) in the chic bar we passed on the way in seems like the perfect solution.
