As Newcastle begins to wake up following lockdown restrictions, a steady stream of new venues are popping up around the city.
One such venue is Okana, a plush new bar and dining rooms which occupies the iconic former Union Rooms site on Westgate Road. Striking navy blue canopies now adorn the building’s impressive façade, hinting at the luxury which lies within, whilst the interior has had a trendy facelift whilst still retaining many of its original features.
For those familiar with the old Union Rooms, the old divided floor plan remains in place and now comprises a cocktail lounge, snug restaurant, sizeable smoking terrace and of course, the capacious, marbled bar area for which the venue was so renowned. All in all, Okana oozes style and possesses the feel of a chic city centre hangout where one can unwind with friends, sip cocktails, enjoy food and get full of tanked beer in front of the live sport.
Uniquely, the bar is also blazing a trail in the city with its optional offering of CBD oil infused dishes and cocktails inspired by similar, runaway success venues in London and Amsterdam.
The oil, which is a £2.50 supplement, is derived from the cannabis plant and is lauded for its healthy benefits like reduced joint pain and easing anxiety, without any of the psychoactive effects associated with a marijuana high. This had certainly piqued my interest so I pitched up one Tuesday afternoon with my son Jack and found the venue in full “eat out to help out” swing.
Following a warm welcome, we settled down in the cocktail lounge in the centre of the building and observed a menu brimming with choice. In addition to a backbone of British dishes (often featuring many quirky inflections), there’s a parade of different flavours on offer including tapas, sandwiches, burgers, pizzas and chargrilled rotisserie dishes.
Whilst amongst the CBD-friendly dishes, diners can enjoy smoked paprika chicken popcorn, crispy hens egg with spinach and blue cheese rarebit, the luxury gourmet burger with melting beef and cheese and even the traditional beer battered cod and chips. Now never was there a greater symbol of modern Britain than that.
Kicking off, Jack chose the slow-cooked belly pork goujons with a dunk-friendly pot of spiced gravy. Stacked up in a Jenga-like structure with a tangle of side salad and a smear of beetroot puree, these looked great and tasted even better packed with that rich, gamey satisfaction.
I chose the maple glazed chicken wings, delicately spiced for extra oomph and served with a board of additional dipping sauces including smoky barbecue and a thousand island dressing.
With so much on offer for main course, the seafood linguine was a gamble but one which paid off emphatically. Plump king prawns met chunks of fresh crab in a white wine garlic sauce showered with extra chilli and bursting with flavour.
Jack was also seemingly at a loss at what to order so went ahead and ordered everything. A “pimp my board” tapas selection arrived four dishes strong, comprising garlic butter chorizo prawns, spiced lamb and apricot koftas, porcini and ricotta wellington parcels and a selection of Chef’s Italian cured meats so good it would make Tony Soprano blush.
The CBD theme also extends to the dessert menu where one can enjoy tiramisu, Eton mess and chocolate fondant all with a few droplets of the good stuff should they so wish. A bracing espresso and an Old Fashioned cocktail would suffice for Jack and I though as we soaked up the atmosphere in the glassceilinged cocktail area.
On first visit then, this would appear to be a venue with a lot going for it. Coupled with a stellar food & drink offering, is an enthusiastic approach to trial new events and promotions – we visited a few days prior to a bank holiday hip hop brunch. In fact the various rooms make for a versatile space which lends itself to a number of occasions, be it morning coffee, a pit stop after work or party evening.
Whilst all dishes may comply with the maximum 0.2% legal THC limit, this exciting new venue has begun life on a high.
