Jack Grahamslaw goes off-piste with an eclectic new vegetarian menu at the Chart House in Newcastle.
Since opening in 2022, The Chart House has carved out a fine reputation from its prime location on Newcastle’s Quayside.
The restaurant offers a “Maritime Spice Route” with creative cookery inspired by the Mediterranean, Arabian and South China Seas.
Its menu is exciting and varied in scope and offers the chance to dine all-out as a tapas style feast or in traditional starter/main course fashion.
Now, the Chart House is diversifying its offering with a parade of new vegetarian and vegan dishes, which underlines its commitment to offering a menu which is one-third plant-based.
I had the pleasure of visiting one Friday evening with my girlfriend, Lucy, to sample everything this new veggie offering had in store.
The venue is one of the most characterful in the city. The name itself refers to the building’s nautical heritage being the former dwelling place of Matthew S Dodds, esteemed Victorian printer of books, maps and charts that sailors setting out to see would come to buy. Uniquely, the building is one of the only ones of its kind to survive the Great Fire of Newcastle in 1854.
A mere century and a half later, the dining area has been comprehensively transformed. The dining area features numerous little nods to the area’s naval past with rails of copper and chrome and a collection of seafaring sketches.
The Chart House is set over a number of different levels with a staircase between the stylish bar and pavement terrace area, open kitchen pass and ‘top deck’ dining room.
Its bright and airy aspect is conducive to conversation, so we got the drinks flowing with a brace of Asahi lagers which foreshadowed the menu’s Asian influence.
Kicking off, we enjoyed starters of courgette fritters with spiced cauliflower and beet tzatziki and cauliflower skewers with homemade peanut sauce and pickled cucumber.
Mains arrived shortly thereafter. I enjoyed an earthy, goats cheese and chestnut mushroom tagliatelle embellished with a large hunk of sourdough. Lucy, meanwhile, tucked into the crispy Szechuan aubergine with black rice. This boasted true ‘Umami’ flavours with its nutty undertones bringing a good balance to the dish.
Naturally, this was washed down with an excellent bottle of Pinot Grigio which complemented the flavours perfectly.
To finish, we sampled a special birthday portion of lemon and raspberry parfait which Lucy lapped up with aplomb.
The Chart House boasts a diverse menu, anchored in rich flavours with a mix of small and larger plates carefully curated by a team of experienced of chefs. If you’re looking for a true vegetarian eating experience, this classy venue is off the charts.
Chart House updates its menus seasonally, so be sure to visit their website for the latest, upto-date offerings.
For more information, visit pubcuure.com/charthouse