My old man made it to the big six-oh this year and what better way to celebrate conquering the last sixty years than with a meal. But a milestone such as this is no slap-up affair, it deserves a Michelin star.
As I type, Newcastle has only one of those and it belongs to the delectable House of Tides on the city’s historic quayside. Set up three years ago by esteemed chef and affable local lad, Kenny Atkinson and his partner Abby, the restaurant is Tyneside’s nonpareil when it comes to fine dining.
Occupying a restored and listed merchant’s town house, there’s a real charm when you enter. Wooden beams, bricks and 16th century angles: the building is literally packed to the rafters with character while steering well clear of the staid and outmoded. This is after all, a modern restaurant.
And from the outset the food reflects this. A trio of amuse-bouches arrive: miniature ice cream cones filled with delicately truffled cream cheese; rich savoury lamb croquetas punctuated with caper and apple; and a sublime carrot and fennel macaron that I could happily eat before (or after) any and every meal henceforth.
A Lindisfarne oyster followed, topped with pickled cucumber and the fresh zing of ginger. It was probably the greatest oyster I have had to date- bold and brackish and exactly what head chef, Danny Parker and his team seem to do so deftly: arrange and balance an assortment of flavours with a canny sophistication. This balance continued into the subsequent mackerel and gooseberry off of The Great British Menu.
The first main event was a sea bass dish accompanied by chicken wing, hazelnut and jerusalem artichoke. The sweet nuttiness of the artichoke and salty note of the chicken worked like a dream, but the sea bass itself found it difficult to hold centre-stage. Duck came next, subtly spiced and served with meaty hen-of-the-woods and a carrot that had been cooked in duck fat for 12 hours. If it were at all practical, I would spend half a day cooking my carrots from now on, but it isn’t and that’s what restaurants like this are for: the experience. Pre-dessert was another perfect balance, this time of blood orange and honeycomb before finishing with a dessert of rhubarb, violet and white chocolate which was both a bonny plate of food and convinced me that violet can genuinely be a viable flavour.
By the last course, everyone was satisfied, too satisfied to be tempted by the attractive petit fours glimpsed whizzing past, destined for another table. The excellently-chosen wine pairings had cumulatively taken effect by then yet the serving staff, professional and approachable throughout ,seemed more than happy to engage in the family’s new-found loquaciousness.
Perhaps you wouldn’t eat this finely every weekend for fear of cheapening the experience and lightening the pocket, but it’s worth every penny for noteworthy occasions and special events. If you know about food and care about food then you won’t be disappointed here, you’ll be in good company.
Smoke & Spice 