Lunch At Blackfriars Newcastle

It was my birthday a few weeks ago and to celebrate the other half treated me to lunch out and a shopping trip. It was just the two of us and it made a nice change going out without little people in tow, we could relax, chat and enjoy eating a hot meal in peace which was utter bliss. 

We decided to visit Blackfriars in Newcastle city centre for lunch, tucked away between the gate complex and china town sits Blackfriars, an award-winning restaurant located in the 13th century former medieval friary that now serves lots of local produce. 

The restaurant is decorated in keeping with the medieval background with bare stone walls, wooden carved chairs and lots of candles dotted around the room. You could tell that lots of attention to detail has gone into the feel of the place with unique carved stone salt and pepper pots on the tables and placemats showing where the local food they serve is produced. 

We visited on a Thursday lunchtime and the atmosphere was really relaxed with soft music on in the background, meaning we were able to chat away whilst browsing the menu. Our drink orders were taken and we were served some delicious freshly made bread with soft butter whilst we decided what to order.  

As we visited on a weekday lunchtime we opted to order from the set menu which was a three-course meal priced at £18, we struggled on what to select as they offer so many amazing sounding dishes. In the end, we both opted for the North Sea Fishcake with chunky tartare sauce and lemon starter. We both loved this dish as it was presented beautifully on a bed of salad leaves and had just the right amount of chunky tartar sauce. The North Sea Fishcakes were cooked to perfection with a light coating of breadcrumbs and a delicious chunky fishy middle. For me, the star of the show was defiantly the chunky tartare sauce as it was mouthwatering and delicious. 

Ten minutes later our mains arrived and again the presentation was wonderful, the dishes looked just as good as they tasted. I opted for the Northumbrian rump steak, tomatoes, mushrooms, chips and garlic butter which was an extra £2 supplement, but oh so worth it. I asked for my steak well done and it was cooked exactly how I like it and just melted in my mouth. The chips were so good, cooked nice and crispy on the outside yet soft and fluffy on the inside and the garlic butter was the perfect accompaniment to this dish. 

The other half opted for the Poached Scottish salmon, heritage potatoes and steamed Shetland mussels with pesto. He had high praise for his main too and said the salmon was cooked perfectly and melted in his mouth and the mussels just fell apart and were delicious. 

We were full from our meals but decided to be indulgent and have dessert I opted for the chocolate and hazelnut brownie with praline ice cream. The brownie was sweet and delicious and the praline ice cream was to die for. I was too full from my meal to finish my dessert so only managed half, the other had the rest and loved the ice cream as much as I did. 

He opted for the sticky toffee pudding, salted caramel sauce and banana ice cream and declared that it was the nicest dessert that he has ever had as the flavours worked so well together. High praise indeed as he is so picky with sticky toffee puddings. I had a little taste of his banana ice cream and it was utterly scrummy. 

We were really impressed with are meal and the bill came to around £50 which is great value for two three course meals and drinks. We left Blackfrairs feeling relaxed and happy with full tummies and have vowed that we will be returning the next time Grandma is on babysitting duty again. I can hand on heart say that it was one of the nicest meals that I have had (and we eat out a lot) as everything was cooked to perfection, beautifully presented and was served in such a lovely setting. 

If you are in the Newcastle area and you are looking for somewhere to visit for lunch then I highly recommend Blackfriars, it away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre and is somewhere you can relax in beautiful surroundings, enjoying delicious food from a range of different menus. 

You can find out more about Blackfriars and view the menu's via the website www.blackfriarsrestaurant.co.uk. 

Please note we paid for this meal are self  & we loved it so much we thought we would share how nice it was.