Hot on the heels of our third "exclusive" business lunch club at the Crowne Plaza in Newcastle, I thought I'd review the hotel's restaurant for readers of Northern Insight. The Crowne Plaza is situated in the city's burgeoning Stephenson Quarter and boasts a fine in-house brasserie, Hawthorns, which serves fresh food from morning until moon.
Inside the hotel is a lovely, open-plan ground floor reception area which flows nicely into Hawthorns a wood-panelled eatery with a convivial atmosphere.
The restaurant does a fine line in “North British Cuisine” and its menu has been carefully created. Provenance is of top priority with ingredients sourced locally from Northumberland and North Yorkshire.
Of an evening, there’s a sumptuous a la carte menu, yet today, we were choosing from their lunchtime Bar & Lounge menu a concise offering of belly-fillers.
The service is very attentive which makes this a perfect spot for those timeconstrained folk seeking an express lunch.
Michael Grahamslaw, Northern Insight Magazine This would prove just the ticket with the temperature bar plummeting and we were pleased to find a suitably hearty selection of dishes including steaks, sandwiches, pastas, burgers and erm, salads.
As I know from our recent networking luncheons, the service here really is top draw and our waitress was happy to recommend a couple of appetisers. She chose for my business colleague the Salt & Pepper squid; goldenbrown bangles of calamari, deep fried masterfully and served with a zesty garlic & lime aioli. Whilst for me, the winter-warming cream of tomato soup served with a slab of “Geordie Bakers Bread.” A real treat.
What really impressed us was the turnover between courses. The service is very attentive which makes this a perfect spot for those timeconstrained folk seeking an express lunch.
Thankfully, we were taking things at a more leisurely place which was a relief when I clocked my main course. The “Toon Ale” battered cod was a real sight to behold and comfortably filled the diameter of the plate. This was served with twice-cooked skin on chips, crushed peas and an unusual accompaniment of curry & gherkin mayonnaise. Smeared over the flaky, white cod this was a taste sensation and displays just the kind of innovation this kitchen is capable of.
My partner in thyme opted for the garlic, lemon and thyme marinated chicken served on a bed of spiced tomato pasta. The chicken had been lightly chargrilled which ensured for a rich, smoky taste whilst the pasta, loaded with chilli, packed a resounding kick.
With service this snappy, we even had time for dessert. My pal enjoyed the Northumbrian cheese board (again, all locally-sourced) whilst I sampled that old diet-buster; salted caramel & dark chocolate cheesecake.
When entertaining clients, one thing I always look for is assured quality, something the Crowne Plaza delivers in spades. Hawthorns is open throughout the day and employs a refreshing “whatever you want want, whenever you want it” approach. The hotel also has a packed festive calendar of events and will begin serving Christmas lunches from December 1st. There’s cracking value to be found at £19.95 a head and is sure to be in my thinking going forward.
It’s clear then that great things are happening in this corner of the Stephenson Quarter. Hawthorns is quickly becoming a firm favourite for client entertainment.
For more information, visit their website www.hawthorns-ncl.com
