One of the true joys of eating out is visiting restaurants which consistently update their offering. One such eatery is Dobson & Parnell, which since opening in 2016, continues to push the boundaries of Modern British and European cuisine on Newcastle's Quayside. With an AA Rosette and a host of awards, the restaurant is also featured in the Michelin, Good Food and Harden's Guides - after a visit you'll find out why.
The restaurant derives its name from pre-eminent Victorian architects, John Dobson, and William Parnell, who originally designed the building back in 1863. Set on the City’s Queen Street, you might say it’s the perfect destination for a restaurant.
I had the pleasure of visiting one Friday night with my son Jack and found a seasonal spring menu in full swing.
Inside, the dining area simply oozes class and is a neat fusion of old and new. The building retains some of its Victorian period features with pendant lighting, exposed original brickwork and cast-iron columns combining with sage green leather and dark timber flooring. Perhaps, most striking of all is some dazzling white tiling which evokes the grandeur of yesteryear.
We were greeted warmly on arrival and shown to our snug corner booth. The restaurant’s early evening menu, available 5.30pm -7pm Wednesday – Friday and 5pm-6pm Saturday, offers some good value with two courses available for £24 and three for £29 or you can opt for their five or seven course taster menus which are very reasonably priced.
Cocktails are an art at Dobson & Parnell but instead we opted for a very agreeable bottle of Chenin Blanc as recommended by our server.
To kick off, Jack chose the seasonal skrei cod, dill cured and artfully presented with tasty honey mustard and wispy rye crispbread. I opted for the equally inviting cauliflower soup with toasted hazelnuts and a signature of orange oil.
Following on Chef Patron, Troy Terrington, appeared to be at the peak of his powers in serving up the slow cooked ox cheek, well butchered and paired with roast artichoke, bone marrow and black truffle. A supplementary glass of good house red set this off perfectly.
Yours truly meanwhile picked out an absolute blinder in the form of line-caught hake on a bed of kale in a chilli grab sauce. A real feast for the eyes and the tastebuds.
Throughout our meal, the service was highly attentive while the dining area packed a buoyant atmosphere, particularly as the evening wore on.
All that was left to round off in style with a sharing slab of cheesecake, singing with lemon and ginger goodness.
With a rotating seasonal set menu month-on-month and an excellent choice of Tasting Menus, Dobson & Parnell remains a class act and a real must-visit for foodies.