Grey Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Georgian Elegance. Sophisticated Shopping. Fine Dining.

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[Image description: the honey-coloured stone façades; © & courtesy FreeFoto]

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Grey Street street gently curves down-/up-wards, so even mobility-impaired me can hobble down/up it. Every time I have done so it has been a day not unlike the photograph: blue sky, wispy clouds and a chill in the air or a cool breeze. I always feel at some point in my descent/ascent that I am in some Georgian or Regency novel. This is not an area for discount stores or bargain-hunters, one has to pay for the high-end clothing or haute cuisine.

Worth strolling along even if one's purse does not permit any spending here. Maybe even daydream being in an Austen or Brontë novel. ;)

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There & Back Again: Over the Tyne Bridge

[Image description: close-up of the bridge's structure; © & courtesy photoeverywhere]

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What is a visit to Newcastle-upon-Tyne without touching base with the Tyne Bridge. Three-headed Victorian street-lights stand to attention every few metres across the span. We had no reason to travel south of the river, but I insisted upon a quick jaunt over the mighty Tyne. Even my friend and driver enjoyed going over to the other side and of course back again. What is it about boys and going over bridges (rhetorical!).

Do not fear that you will end up in Gateshead, or even Sunderland, before being able to turn around: whilst it cannot be seen at first, there is the equivalent of a roundabout which enables an about-turn without having to risk doing a U-turn. It is not well sign-posted though, so one needs to keep one's wits about oneself and eyes trained.

Enjoy & marvel at the wondrous engineering! %)

Gosforth Palace (née Poon's), Newcastle-upon-Tyne: a Review

I have been a regular visitor of the Chinese restaurant Gosforth Palace (it's dropped the Poon's part of its name now) for twenty years this year. Nigh on every time I visit Newcastle, I go over to Gosforth to dine with a chum from my undergraduate days. I have never once had a bad meal in all these years, so naturally I recommend it. Even more so now that I am disabled, for despite the long flight of stairs up to the dining area, there is a chair-lift for those of us who cannot mount on our own legs.

[Image description: a shot of © Gosforth Palace when still signed as Poon's]

On this occasion we were five folk: myself & my best friend; my chum; her son; and, my chum's mother.

The family decided upon duck pancakes for their starter. My friend and I for different, but warming, soups. The duck was demolished and not a pancake was spared. I think we can say it went down a treat! My companion had won ton soup. Sometimes won tons can be slightly gristly or have a faint taste of fat. Not here. My companion was oohing over them. I opted for chicken & sweetcorn soup: there was plenty of the maize but little poultry. I have had better, but the soup was perfectly acceptable.

Everyone opted for different main courses. Nothing went back to the kitchen, save for empty plates and dishes. The wee lad has eaten noodles ever since he saw the first Kung Fu Panda film. He has them plain with egg-fried rice. It was lovely to see him eat so heartily.

My chum's mum and I both opted for noodle dishes. They serve the least greasy/oily noodles I have ever had. I chose a mixed seafood chow mein. It was perfect: the right amount to not over face but to satiate. I did not recognise everything I was eating; but it was all quite tasty.

My friend & my chum both commented on how light the egg-fried rice was, again no greasiness nor oiliness.

Service is just right: there if you need it, but not in one's face. I did not need to use my hand-gel, for towels are offered both prior to and post dining.

The food is not cheap, nor particularly expensive; for the quality and quantity I should state very reasonable.

Of course I shall be back next time I am in the North-East. %PPP

Quilliam Brothers, Newcastle-upon-Tyne: a Review

The place is packed, upstairs & downstairs, on Friday evenings, so one has to wait to be seated. The fact that so many folk do (at one point the queue was out the main entrance and down the side of the windows) is testament to the food & service at Quilliam Brothers. To ensure fairness, as soon as anyone new enters a server approaches them and then adds them to the board - no queue-jumping here.

[Image description: architectural drawing of the building occupied by the tea-house;

at the meeting of Barras Bridge (B1318), Claremont Road & Eldon Place,

directly opposite the iconic tower of the civic centre; © Quilliam Bros.]

After approximately ten to fifteen minutes we were escorted to table and menus were proffered. We were given ample time to peruse without feeling rushed nor frustrated. Just right. Our waiter served us with a smile, the right level of chattiness and affability.

My best friend took Earl Grey tea - perfectly steeped and served with fresh lemon. My Newkie chum and I had hot chocolates laced with cream and crumbled chocolate. Her wee son took a Fentiman's cherry cola for a special treat. I cannot recall the others' reactions to their drinks, as I was too busy being envelopped in warm, creamy chocolatiness…… Perfect: not too bitter, not too sweet.

We had tasty treats to accompany our beverages. My best friend and I both selected the ginger-beer scones. Oh my! Laced with chunks of stem ginger, a scone that packed a wee punch. Should love to have that recipe!

Shall defo return to Quilliam Bros next time I am in Newcastle city centre - just a couple of minutes walk from Haymarket Metro station.

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No hot meals after 3pm - their web-page could do with being updated to make this clear.

Staybridge Suites, Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Aparthotel) - Revisited

In December 2013, I visited Newcastle-upon-Tyne and had the pleasure of staying at Staybridge Suites on Buxton Street. I wrote a review which I published on this blog and also on TripAdvisor, where it is by far my most viewed review.

[Image description: large flat-panelled television-set with interactive menu of hotel facilities]

On this occasion I did indeed stay longer. We arrived Thursday afternoon and checked out just after eleven on Sunday morning. This longer stay meant I could spread out my activities so as not to tire me out nor aggravate my disabilities.

This time my companion and I stayed in one of the studio apartments. Hopefully the following images give a feel of the place. We took the pictures after settling in so one can observe how homely the pads are.

[Image description: from the sofa looking towards the kitchenette]

[Image description: from the bed looking towards the sitting area;

the writer's gammy leg/foot propped up]

[Image description: the fully equipped & spotlessly clean kitchen area]

[Image description: the room for two shower cubicle in the mould(mold)-free 'bath'-room]

We brought along our own wines, snacks, drinking-water, decaf coffee, etc. However, we also took advantage of "The Pantry", the hotel's twenty-four hour shop. We paid: £1 for a packet of Tyrrell's crisps; £1 for a small packet of popcorn; £1.30 for three large Metcalfes rice cakes coated in chocolate; and £1.50 for a bottle of Purdeys (costing £1.35 in Waitrose). The prices were not extortionate, but reflected local convenience store pricing. One can also purchase inter alia toiletries, ready meals, alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages.

On the Thursday evening we were invited to a meet & greet with the manager and other guests with gratis wine and snacks. We were too tired from the long journey from Manchester to feel up to socialising, so settled down with crackers, pâté and some red wine.

Breakfast each morning featured cereals, fruit, yoghourts, choices of milks & juices, teas, coffees, hot-chocolate, bagels, croissants, muffins…… Friday morning hot sausages were available along with cold sliced ham and cheese. Saturday bacon was available but not Friday's offerings. On Sunday both bacon and sausage were available but not the cold cuts. I suspect part of the reason for some changes each day is so that long- or longer-term residents do not become bored. Free newspapers were available to anyone who wished. Take-away cups & lids were available for those who wished to breakfast on the go. Some folk used their room's tray to collect a breakie and return to breakfast in the privacy of their rooms.

Room service is available weekdays but one is at liberty to decline it. At weekends it is on demand only, so one can have a lie-in without fear of being disturbed. All we had need to request was an extra dishwasher-tablet.

As per our last visit the customer-service interface is faultless. Talking to the employees all were happy in their work and therefore all the affability and smiles were probably totally authentic. It's lovely to hear workers speak contentedly about their work-place. Also reassuring to see all the awards proudly displayed in the vestibule.

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The only negative aspect to our stay was the quality of the toilet-paper. At home I go through two rolls every three weeks. Over our stay we went through nearly two rolls between two of us due to the quality being so poor, which meant we were using three to four times more tissue than we would normally. A false economy methinks. Next time - and there will be a next time - I shall take a roll of my own.

Frankie & Benny's, John Dobson St., Newcastle-upon-Tyne: a Review

Frankie & Benny’s is a national chain, I have visited occasionally over the years. It’s not haute cuisine, but the food is fair for the price and there is an extensive menu. On this occasion I was with two adult and one child companions.

[Image description: screen-shot of © Frankie & Benny's web-page for the restaurant reviewed, with location map - the purpose of which is to differentiate the specific branch critiqued here.]

From outside with all the windows one could see plenty of dark wood and banquettes; a cross between American diner and Italian restaurant - the food offering is basically the same.

We all immediately felt the warmth on entering after the mere three degrees outside. We were greeted quickly enough and asked how many our table would be for. My young chum answered, and we were led to table. Menus were placed on the table, before we had even had a chance to sit down, rather than offered to each of us in turn. Furthermore, the young female greeter failed to check to see whether or not the table was acceptable. As it happened the banquette was too low for myself (the disabled one) and we needed to move to a table with a sturdy chair. We could not attract anyone’s attention, despite us all still standing, so one member walked half-way across the room to discuss with the original greeter. She did not return to guide us nor again to check we were happy with our choice.

The drinks waiter came over and enquired what we might like to drink. We ordered a bottle of pinot grigio rosé and a child’s refillable lemonade. There was then a fairly long wait in which time we all had an opportunity to select our meals. A heads-up: the meal-offer separate menu meant that some of the dishes are cheaper to order with a starter than the price of just the main course from the primary menu. So cheesy garlic bread was ordered too and shared between three of we diners, who had not intended to have an appetiser.

Three wine glasses and the lemonade and a bottle of wine in a wine-cooler were placed on the table and the waiter rapidly walked off. All the wine-glasses were delivered wet, covered in water-droplets - something I have never seen at any restaurant prior to this occasion. As the glasses had not been dried and polished, it meant that it was highly unlikely that they had been checked. Mine of course had lipstick remains on the rim. After several minutes I rose and went over to the manager, who quickly scuttled away, but took some time to come back with a dried & polished clean receptacle. No apology though. My female companion then checked her glass to find remains of pink lipstick on hers. Then we discovered that the incorrect wine had been delivered - the waiter had not shown us the label when bringing to table - but then again it was also the wrong colour; white instead of pink. By this point I was annoyed, we still had not placed our food orders. I went over to the manager once again and made sure he understood our complaints and that this would affect our tipping.

Eventually two burger dishes (one adult, one child), a calzone and a fillet of salmon (for the writer) were delivered. Alas, despite making it very clear that the child wanted no tomato and no ketchup on the burger, it came with said sauce. Of course it had to go back to the kitchen for them to start again. In the end the child ate most of his meal and was fully sated; no complaints with the meal he finally was served. His mother ate her burger too with no complaints. My companion consumed his meatball calzone with gusto. It looked fabulous. He said the pizza base was really light, and we both considered that it appeared like genuine Italian pizza base. Scrummy! My thick salmon fillet was perfectly cooked, tender, succulent and tasty. Alas the accompanying potatoes were undercooked and harder than firm. The garden peas were either incompletely reconstituted or had dried out in the wait. The broccoli turned out to be two soggy floret-lets. Most disappointing.

We did not bother with dessert - we were not even asked.

We were only asked once whether we needed more drinks, when most of the wine was still in the bottle.

In summary: atmosphere was good (about a quarter to a third full for early-mid evening - on a Friday); food over all was fair (two good [child’s burger & calzone], one average [adult burger]; one below average [salmon]); service amiable but not what should be accepted across the board from kitchen-, waiting- & management-staff; toilets very clean and not malodorous.

The bill came to £67. We left a £3.50 gratuity (about 5%), half what is our usual starting-point - it would have been nothing if the staff had been less than affable. I advised the manager on departing that his whole team needs to work together to improve affairs.

Would I recommend or revisit? On reflexion, probably not.

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Please note that there are several branches of F&B in the Newkie area.

We Didn't See Red!: Review

We selected the Chinese restaurant, Red Diner, from a plethora in Newcastle-upon-Tyne's Chinatown on the basis of it looking clean & presentable. We felt justified in our choice when a party of more than a dozen Chinamen arrived and settled down to dine.

[Image description: inside the restaurant; courtesy & © Red Diner]

I chose a starter of dumpling soup (comically misspelled "Dumping Soup") followed by monkfish & bean-curd with boiled rice. Additionally, I partook of duck pancakes. The duck was not at all greasy as it can be in some restaurants, but contrariwise it was a tad on the dry side. Our ten-year-old guest was quite correct when he suggested it needed "more sauce"! Everyone loved the pork-meat dumplings though and they were quickly demolished. The soup was little more than a weak broth, inoffensive but unremarkable. My main on the other hand was tasty with rhomboid slices of ginger and an unobtrusive chilli spiciness.

At the end of the meal we were all quite sated with not one of us having space to pack in a dessert.

All in all: soup for four; pancakes for four; five mains; three beers; and, five soft drinks. The bill was £85. At £17 per head for two courses plus drinks, this did not work out too badly.

Recommendation: we shall return for a second try!

Staybridge Suites, Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Aparthotel)

I have friends in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Over the years I have tried various different hotels in and around the city. None have ever proven truly satisfactory, most usually due to lack of noise insulation. One hotel in Jesmond even refused (despite such being against the Law) to install a hand-rail up a flight of three steps, when I pointed out that this would be of assistance to some disabled and/or mobility-impaired folk.

On this occasion I used Booking.com to search out accommodation that would cope with my disabilities and have somewhere for the car to be parked securely. A boon was that it also included (limited) free wifi in one's room, sufficient to check emails, social media and the news-feeds.

[Image description: the external façade; courtesy & © Staybridge Suites]

I selected an aparthotel named Staybridge Suites Newcastle. It consisted of: a fully equipped kitchen, including 'fridge-freezer, microwave, hob, extractor hood, dishwasher and all the accoutrements one might need for cooking up a tasty repast; a sitting-room area with sofa and two chairs, a flat-screen television-set and various pouffes; the bedroom had a second flat-screen TV plus one of the most comfortable beds I have ever had the delight in which to sleep; a bathroom with full-sized tub, pulsing shower, W.C., sink, etc. One even had access to a laundry room fitted with washing-machines.

Finding the hotel at night was our first difficulty. We found Buxton Street with no difficulty, but we could not spot the hotel amidst all the student accommodation blocks. The hotel had no lit sign, although one can spot it in daylight. We only had to go up and down the street twice. However apparently the arrival prior to myself had spent twenty minutes attempting to locate. Alas sat-navs only help one reach a post-code which can be a whole street, so they are generally no help.

Our next problem was entering the gated car-park. Well, it certainly reassured us that it was reasonably secure. The very affable Pratik apologised for the failing of the intercom and quickly helped us gain access and check in. He made us aware of The Pantry from whence one can obtain provisions and toiletries. He even advised us that my friends in Newkie were more than welcome to come and join us for a complimentary breakfast. One cannot get much more welcoming than that!

[Image description: the reception area with Pantry behind the check-in desk;

courtesy & © Staybridge Suites]

My room was on the ground floor which meant no need to use lifts (escalators) nor stairs. One of the two lifts was out of order, but actually had a notice on it which stated what the problem was, confirmed that the engineer had been summonsed and the time s/he was expected to arrive.

The apartment allocated was actually partially underground due to the edifice having been built into the slope. With drawn curtains this was irrelevant. However, one might feel a tad claustrophobic were one to stay for any length of time.

I and my assistant do not travel light. There was plenty of space for all our luggage, baggage and paraphernalia. Furthermore, our guests were able to spread out and relax whilst we sorted ourselves out.

After returning from dinner in Chinatown (see my review if Chinese food appeals), we were quickly to bed and snuggled down to an undisturbed and uninterrupted slumber.

In the morning we helped ourselves to breakie. There were choices of cereal; fruits; pastries; conserves; yoghourts; a whole plethora of coffees & teas; juices; and, heated foods. One would have to be extremely fussy not to find something one liked. Nothing was stale, dry or overcooked. Completely sated, after sampling a bit of just about everything, we did not require luncheon for that day, but waited until dinner to eat again.

On checking out, the lovely Natalie was able to send an electronic receipt so we did not have to mess around with paper as well as giving us the friendliest of salutations and a genuinely sincerely expressed hope that we would return. I shall of course be staying there again. Now I have found somewhere where I know I can get a good night's rest, I can stay longer in Newcastle. Looking forward to my next visit already. %)