The Gosforth social circuit received a huge boost of late upon opening of the all-new Barluga.
Many will be familiar with its sister venues which sit at the heart of Newcastle and Morpeth respectively, bringing gastro-pub style cooking to a sophisticated and convivial setting. Barluga Gosforth is no different. Well positioned in a converted church formerly Loch Fyne amidst the hustle and bustle of Gosforth High Street, this is a venue at the centre of the community and a sage choice from morning til moon.
Whilst it hasn’t taken long for Barluga to become an after-hours favourite, cosy booths and table service make this a great spot for a business meeting or client lunch. Luckily, that’s just what we did!
Downstairs is primarily a bar/cocktail area whilst a dedicated restaurant resides upstairs serving a mix of posh comfort food and modern British cuisine. As with other Barluga’s, the décor is decidedly opulent. After a warm welcome, we were parked in the ”Crow’s Nest” a sumptuous caramel/navy booth, perched beneath the old church’s slanty ceilings and overlooking the bar’s characterful and capacious interior.
Our waitress, Kate who looked after us superbly all afternoon soon invited us to look at the wine list. Barluga Gosforth have an extensive wine list which has clearly been carefully curated to exercise the mind as much as the palate.
In tribute to my Daughter Holly moving to the region as part of her university programme, we picked out a superbly structured Bordeaux rouge which would prove lovely with our food.
Its menu boasts a stylish offering of starters, main plates, sandwiches and salads whilst breakfast dishes are also available on the daily. As is his wont, My Son Jack kicked off with the Barluga Shetland mussels which are available with a choice of sauce. Being an aspiring chilli fiend, Jack chose the tomato & chorizo revved up with extra chilli and mopped up greedily with some excellent sourdough.
My salt chilli beef was lapped up with equal aplomb. Diced into delicate strips, the beef crowned a bed of Asian side salad including lettuce, pak choi and peppers whilst a racy blood orange chilli jam provided much colour and interest. We visited during a flurry of Friday lunchtime trade yet the service was still slick with Kate especially sharp in clearing our plates and replenishing our glasses.
The Asian connection continued into my main course too as I opted for the Thai Green curry with a choice of chicken breast or tiger prawns. Rich and aromatic, the sauce was clearly freshly prepared and comprised bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, basil, chilli and basmati rice.
Jack chose the slow cooked lamb shoulder. A rustic, earthy dish this had a telling depth of flavour and was paired with celeriac puree, confit shallots, charred leeks, saute potatoes and jus. Naturally, this was set off exquisitely by the Bordeaux red.
Having totally overindulged over starter & main course, we swerved desserts though lingered a while over coffees as the bar prepared itself for another busy weekend.
It hasn’t taken long for the venue to capture the hearts & minds of the Gosforth area but given the classy Barluga brand, was that ever really up for debate?
For more information, visit barluga.co.uk/gosforth