As Northern Insight readers may be aware, I am a man partial to a steak meal so was therefore delighted when the opportunity arose to review Bar & Block steakhouse on Newcastle's Newgate Street.
Opening shortly before Lockdown 1.0, the restaurant has bounced back in difficult circumstances and offers the modern all-day dining steakhouse experience and a welcoming bar with an extensive range of high quality steaks, handmade burgers and grazing plates at ‘high street prices’ .
This all sounded marvellous so I blocked out (every pun intended) a Friday afternoon and rounded up my son Jack – a fellow steak aficionado- for a post-graduation treat.
Set within a listed building, Bar and Block Newcastle has been sympathetically renovated whilst embracing modern design details to create a contemporary and stylish space. The interior design features an expansive bar with copper detailing, butcher’s table and an open kitchen, complemented by rustic reclaimed wood, high quality fabrics, comfy booth seating and warm lighting. Decorative finishing touches include the brand’s signature neon cow, alongside a number of contemporary artwork pieces.
On a Friday afternoon, we observed a venue really hitting its straps with chatter and sounds of glass clinking pervading the air. Following suit, we got legged into an excellent bottle of Malbec whilst deciding on our preferred steak cuts.
The Bar and Block way encourages you to ‘style your steak’ alongside a chosen sauce and side orders. This includes traditional fillet, sirloin and rib eye cuts alongside a rotating ‘Butchers Block’ seasonal special as well as a quartet of speciality cuts including the Surf n Turf, spiral cut fillet and ‘Steak Sampler’ – a selection of three 4oz mini cuts. Top quality steak however isn’t the only attraction here, as its new autumn / winter menu also comprises a range of sharing planks, salads and fish and vegetarian dishes.
There’s also a host of grazing plates, starter style dishes with two to three recommended between two to get the party started. With this in mind, Jack chose the middle eastern king prawns in a roasted red pepper, harissa and tomato sauce whilst I opted for the Asian crispy beef (a current favourite) tossed in hoisin, cucumber, spring onions, chilli and coriander. As expected, the main courses however were the real highlight. Jack’s spiral cut 12oz fillet had been marinated in garlic and parsley for 24 hours lending a real depth of flavour and was then paired with sauteed greens and peppercorn sauce.
My 12oz sirloin was also exceptional paired with beef-dripping triple cooked chunky chips and beer battered onion rings.
Bar & Block’s steaks are reared from British and Irish Angus breeds renowned for their taste and tenderness with a unique marbling that runs throughout each cut. The result is that holy trinity of steak, sauce and wine melting majestically in the mouth together.
After a Summer of (reasonably) healthy eating our sweet teeth have fallen out so we swerved dessert in favour of coffee. We did though file a mental note to try the Melting Chocolate Dome’ on our return visit. Indeed, there certainly will be a next time. Bar and Block offers a top quality, slightly cheaper alternative to the usual steakhouse with a fun, customisable menu designed to match your appetite.
A real must try for steak lovers.