Full Steam Ahead For Destination 1850

Newcastle’s Central Station remains on the right track following the “arrival” of a new boutique bar & eatery

Destination 1850 has set up shop in the station’s glass portico entrance and is already proving a real hit with departing and arriving travellers alike. In addition to serving breakfast all day (always a winning formula), the restaurant boasts a stylish offering of fresh wraps, sharing boards, loaded fries and delicious salads as well as stone-baked pizzas showcased impressively at the counter.

The venue caters for both sit-in and take-away customers and also serves a selection of alcoholic beverages including beers, wines and cocktails in addition to obligatory hot and soft drinks.

Admittedly, upon learning of the venue I had my reservations. Namely, “Well, what about the draught?” and “But, where are the toilets?” however my fears were allayed on arrival. The restaurant makes use of both heated seats and outdoor heaters and has even installed some super-posh, passwordprotected, portaloos open to patrons.

In fact, when I met my son Jack for lunch one Friday afternoon, it soon became clear this was a totally unique venue in the City of Newcastle. True historians of the city may know that Newcastle Central is but one of six Grade-I listed stations. Its iconic stone façade was the vision of esteemed Geordie architect, John Dobson, and today serves as monument to the early railway age.

The stylish new bar area has seemingly been designed with the station’s rich heritage in mind. Dazzling copper bar tops and jade green glass bring a touch of yesteryear to this brand new, forwardthinking eatery.

Sitting down, we surveyed a menu featuring dishes both to be savoured and to enjoy “on the hoof.”

Sadly, neither of us were catching a train though we were in a celebratory, Friday-feeling mood so we kicked off with an excellent bottle of Malbec.

Throughout our visit, we were waiting on superbly by waiter Jack – a new starter from Galway – who did everything from guiding us through the menu to recharging our glasses.

Seemingly spoilt for choice, my son Jack chose the Chicken Thai Salad, a cavernous bowlful of chicken, pomegranate, crispy onions, sesame seeds, spring onion, carrot and mixed leaves drizzled in a sweet Thai honey. This nutritious, nourishing dish was bursting with colour and flavour and tasted every bit as good as it looked.

This big lad was operating under a different agenda and sought stodgy comfort food in the form of the Katsu loaded fries. Fat hunks of Southern-friend chicken sat atop a bed of fries gorged in Katsu curry sauce and embellished artfully with shards of fresh chilli and spring onion.

To mop some of this up, we also elected for a side sharing portion of the rustic twisted ciabatta which arrived with a bowl of olives as well as the requisite, dunk-friendly bowl of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Whilst this may be a prime meeting place for friends to convene amidst the buzz of a trip away, it also dawned on us that with food, location and service this good, it could also make a useful hub for a coffee or light bite for businesspeople throughout the day.

For the visitors and commuters to Newcastle though, Destination 1850 will be their first port-of-call and offers a window into the fine hospitality available within this fair city. We can’t say fairer than that.