House of Tides

Located close to the water’s edge, this part of Newcastle was not very fashionable before the arrival of House of Tides. How times have changed – you could say this restaurant has been instrumental in the area’s revival and it has brought top-flight modern cooking to the now bustling quayside. There is still a rustic feel to the building, an elegant Grade I listed, 16th-century merchant’s townhouse in the shadow of the iconic Tyne Bridge. The mothership of local culinary hero Kenny Atkinson, this contemporary restaurant is set across two floors. The dishes are delivered via a tasting menu in the refined beamed dining room with its sloping floors and lopsided ceilings. Although produce from the north-east is the cornerstone of the modern British menus, the kitchen isn’t afraid to look globally for inspiration. Everything that appears from the kitchen is top-drawer and seafood is exceptional, as is evident in a starter of Lindisfarne oyster, jalapeño peppers, red onion, coriander and passion fruit. Meat is a strong point, too, so don’t overlook dishes like Yorkshire pork with new season baby leeks, apple and turnip, or if fish is your thing go for the precisely cooked pollock with courgette, basil and shellfish bisque. A separate tasting menu for vegetarians is certainly no afterthought and includes such intelligent dishes as wild garlic, broccoli, pine nuts and mint; and Jersey Royals, goats' cheese, asparagus, peas and bulgur wheat. Texture and temperature tend to be the template for the inventive desserts which might include a combination of white chocolate, strawberries, pink peppercorns and rose. The attention to detail continues with the intricate petits fours. Although the carefully chosen wine pairings by the glass with the tasting menu are spot on, there is also an excellent list which showcases Atkinson’s favourite bottles.

Awards, accolades & Welcome Schemes

4 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence

AA Notable Wine List