Luci's in Cleadon Village, South Tyneside is the latest food offering to the little town and if you haven't already been, then it's definitely one to add to your 'want' list.
We booked for Sunday lunch and although I tried to get in a week earlier for a 3pm slot, it was fully booked, so the only table available was 12 noon, which is when I suspected it must be good and that we were late to the party!
Luci’s is a small, cosy restaurant, tastefully decorated with around 30 covers. The staff are super-friendly, helpful, and once seated were soon offering us a selection of drinks and advising on wine etc. I was driving so soda water it was for me, but hubby had a cider, which came with an array of fruit and plenty of ice. For starters, Rich had goats cheese salad and I opted for the Yorkshire pudding off my main course as a starter with gravy. Where I come from, Chesterfield, that’s how they’re eaten, not on the main course!
The goats cheese salad looked delicious, so pretty on the plate and Rich said it tasted awesome, as it was served with a selection of leaves, slices of orange, which cut through the cheese and pomegranate seeds. There was a light dressing on it too, which completed the dish.
My Yorky pud was crispy, light, and airy, perfectly seasoned and the accompanying gravy… delicious.
Main course, Rich went off-piste and chose gluten-free fish and chips. The fish was huge and incredibly crispy on the outside. The white flesh of the fish was delicious, but what made this dish special was the home-made tartare sauce. Bigger than usual chunks of dill pickles in it, which hubby thought was perfect. It was served with minted crushed peas and the chips were crunchy with a really mealy interior.
My pork dinner arrived with mashed potatoes, carrot, parsnip, stuffing, and roast potatoes. Other vegetables served separately were broccoli, red cabbage, green cabbage, and suede. Next time we go, I’m ordering a child’s portion, as there was too much for me and normally Rich would finish my food but his meal was big too, so we sadly sent quite a lot of it back to the kitchen. The pork was melt-in-the-mouth, with crackling on the top, which was not teeth-breaking, and a perfect accompaniment. The mash was particularly creamy and veg cooked perfectly al dente.
Although we had no room for dessert, we shared a sticky toffee pudding, with ice cream. This was like a really good quality parkin and my favourite from all of the places we’ve been to. Rich toffee sauce on the top and creamy ice cream made this an absolute winner.
The bill came to £65 and included a large glass of red wine for Rich too, so extremely good value for money. Next time we go, and there will be a next time, hubby is driving as I saw on the menu Espresso Martini’s, which I’m partial to!
Luci’s Bar and Restaurant, 42 Front Street, Cleadon, SR6 7PG
0191 563 0924.