Scaling New Heights

This being the time I visited Six at the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art with an old business friend.

Six has for many years been one of the city’s top destination restaurants. The journey to the top, in the Baltic’s great glass elevator, really builds a sense of anticipation and on arrival, this is a venue which radiates that genuine “WOW” factor. Level Six boasts a sumptuous lounge/viewing gallery where one can take in some skyscraper views, yet we were bound for the restaurant which doesn’t look too shabby either.

The décor is thoughtfully muted and restrained. Floor to ceiling windows mean it’s the spectacular surroundings which assume centre stage. The dining area offers sweeping panoramic views of the Newcastle skyline and I must say there are few better vantage points of the city.

We soon settled in for what would be a flawless dining experience. Being a bitingly cold day, we chose a nice bottle of Rioja which lent a further glow to our rosy cheeks.

The food is modern British and changes seasonally which meant that many of our dishes featured festive, wintery inflections. Provenance is also a top priority. Fresh Element, the company who cater Six, sources a reported 90% of its ingredients locally.

Both the cream of celeriac soup and the ham hock & beetroot salad sounded marvellous, yet both of us decided on the smoked salmon. Wispy and fresh, this proved an exquisite way to begin especially when married with crème fraiche and a sweet-meets-spicy honey & shallot dressing.

‘Tis the season and that, for mains I chose the festive turkey. Roasted in thyme butter, the bird was nicely seasoned here and arrived served on a bed of crispy kale and a swish of cranberry puree. Wholesome duck fat potatoes lent a hearty accompaniment whilst a side of caramelised root vegetables was earthy perfection.

Across the table, my business pal plumped for the slow-cooked pork. Plated stylishly on a cloud of buttery mash and sprinkled with crumbly hazelnuts, this demonstrated just the sort of flair and imagination this kitchen is capable of.

Whilst admittedly, there’s much here for the city’s foodies to enthuse about, I was pleased to find that the fare (not to mention the portions) were fulsome and nourishing. Seemingly then, desserts were off the cards but upon hearing of such travesty, our genial waiter, Stuart, brought over a pair of Pedro Ximenez dessert wines instead – now that is what I call customer service! Full-bodied and intense, this was a delightful finale which I must say, wouldn’t prove my last snifter of the festive period!

Of course Six is set in a totally enviable location yet it also boasts the culinary flair to match those lofty heights. With an ever-changing seasonal menu, I can’t wait to see what 2018 will bring.