Louis Steak House, Alnwick, Northumberland

Nov 30 2007 by Geoff Laws, The Journal

REMEMBER those days when a restaurant boasted the only thing they served was steak? How many ways can you do that?

Firstly there’s grilled and then there’s … ? So, a steak house has to know exactly how to grill steak and, here’s the other crucial element in the mix, chips. Yes, steak is only half a meal without proper, and I do mean proper, chips. Those spindly, catwalk thin potato strands will not do. Proper chips are golden, chunky, floury hearted, deep-fried wedges.

These ingredients are the test of a great steak house. With that in mind, we ventured forth to Northumberland’s county town, Alnwick, and the market place café by day that becomes Louis Steak House by night.

The décor is as bold as the idea that a steak restaurant can be revived, and Louis’ certainly cuts a dash in that respect. The question to be asked was whether the quality of the food matched the quality of the attractive and imaginative look of the place.

The first courses slipped easily over the bar with a mousse light, herb rich chicken parfait floating well above average. The crisp salad garnish added fresh bite to the dish. The French bread had been freshly toasted some time ago, but had become weary in waiting to be served and was easily left on one side.

My companion’s grilled field mushrooms were deliciously moist. Each hearty half had melted brie drifting down each side and was topped with a jewel of cherry tomato and a sprinkling of toasted breadcrumbs making this a great little dish.

A decent interval passed before the much heralded steak dish arrived. Fillet mignon, the queen of steaks, was served with grilled mushroom and tomato garnish and, joy of joys, a bowl of perfect chips.

The steak deserves some attention as the star but sadly the chef had treated this delicate cut brashly. Having ordered it medium rare, which the menu specified meant seared outside and warm, pink inside, it arrived thoroughly cooked within an inch of its life. Any hope of pinkness was long gone and no amount of peppercorn sauce could revive it. The chips, however, were in a different league and fairly sizzled with vivacity making stealing an asbestos finger challenge.

My Turnbull’s award-winning Northumberland sausage was a more satisfying affair. The generous curl of meaty, honest-to-goodness sausage snaked around a block of seasoned, crushed potato. Although the promised caramelised onion gravy with chilli certainly had spicy heat, the onions were undercooked and remained separate within the sauce. The mixed vegetables were very mixed – but those chips. Aah, if only I was allowed to have those more than once a week I’d be a happy man.

Desserts moved us both on towards the end of the meal. Her poached pear in Alnwick rum came in a mulled wine sauce with the pear sliced to allow all the flavours to infuse every fruity fibre but, and it’s a big but, it was stone cold, chilling out all those winter warmers.

My Doddington’s ice creams of chocolate, Alnwick rum and vanilla brought a sweet end to a mixed experience.

If Louis’ could get a firmer grasp of the steak bit of the menu, this could be a very good boutique restaurant.

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Address: Louis Steak House, 2 The Market Place, Alnwick, Northumberland.

Tel: (01665) 606947.

Open: Tuesday-Saturday 5pm-9.30pm. Early bird menu 5pm-6.30pm.

First impressions: Clean, bright and arty.

Welcome: Natural charm from the waitress.

Style, design and furnishings: Modern and confident. The deep red upholstery was reflected in the big, bold canvases and clean white walls.

Cuisine: Modern British. A bit to learn about finish.

Wine: Well-priced wine list. We chose an Anakena Carmenère from Chile 2004 (£15). As it warmed it released berries and plummy fruits with a dusky finish. Good value all round.

Service: The long tables and big stretches to deliver the plates didn’t faze the waitress.

Value: At £63.95 we were paying top prices for a mixed meal.

Parking: Plenty of spaces round and about.

Disabled facilities: Not accessible.