Step this way for a real treat

Dec 26 2008 by Jane Hall, The Journal

Blow away the Boxing Day blues with a brisk walk followed by a hearty meal. Jane Hall looks at where you’ll find a warm welcome coupled with simple, seasonal food over the festive period whether you’re heading for the city, country or coast.

COAST

Lindisfarne Inn, Beal, Northumberland, (01289) 381223, www.lindisfarneinn.co.uk

ITS slogan is “a perfect inn in a perfect place.” A traditional country pub at the gateway to Holy Island, the Lindisfarne is also close to the A1 just 10 miles south of Berwick, and convenient for exploring the north Northumberland coastline.

Where possible, head chef Chris Taylor uses local ingredients for his meals served in either the restaurant or bar. The inn’s Winter Warmer menu (two courses from £8.95, three courses from £10.95) currently features rib-sticking dishes like mince and leek suet pudding and sticky toffee pudding as well as lighter options like aromatic Thai fishcakes. The inn is open as normal throughout the festivities with meals served from noon-9pm daily.

Sidney’s, 3-5 Percy Park Road, Tynemouth, (0191) 257-8500, www.sidneys.co.uk

Where better to blow away the cobwebs than Tynemouth, with its medieval priory and castle, walk along the River Tyne from North Shields Fish Quay and beautiful Longsands?

And when you’ve had enough of the bracing sea air you can retire to Sidney’s for comfort food, which under the auspices of chef-owner Alan O’Kane focuses heavily on fresh, locally-caught fish served up in minimalist surroundings. Budget- conscious menu options include Beat the Clock, where if you eat before 7pm and order two courses from the a la carte, you will receive a free bottle of wine, and the Winter Warmer lunch option with two courses coming in at £9.95.

Sidney’s is closed Boxing Day, but open as normal throughout the rest of the festive period.

Bamburgh Castle Inn, Seahouses, Northumberland, (01665) 720283, www.bamburghcastlehotel.co.uk

Awalk around the busy harbour, or along the sands which run unbroken from Bamburgh to Seahouses, could be just what is needed over the festive period.

Then having worked up an appetite, you can retire to the Bamburgh Castle Inn for a guilt-free meal.

This country pub sits on top of the lime kilns with stunning views of the Farne Islands. Seasonal, tasty and wholesome food is the inn’s menu mainstay. The Boxing Day menu comes in at £19.95 per person (£9.95 for children) and includes starters of chicken mousse with wild mushrooms, main courses of lamb, beef or pork and desserts like warming whisky and marmalade cheesecake. There’s also a special New Year’s Day menu.

Colmans Fish and Chip Restaurant, 182-186 Ocean Road, South Shields, (0191) 456-1202, www.colmansfishandchips.com

Fish and chips is as much a part of a visit to the seaside as sandcastles and ‘Kiss Me Quick’ hats. But the nation’s favourite fast food doesn’t come any better than that served up by Colmans.

For it’s just been crowned Britain’s Local Food Hero 2008 – and what’s good enough for celebrity TV chef Gary Rhodes must surely be good enough for those seeking quality sustenance over the festive season.

Colmans is open December 27-30 and January 2 over the holiday period, 11am-5.30pm in the restaurant (fish and chips come in at £6.95 a portion, with child servings available at £3.95) and 11am-6.30pm for takeaways (portions £5.20).

Ship Inn, The Square, Low Newton-by-the-Sea, Northumberland, (01665) 576262, www.shipinnnewton.co.uk

It’s a decade since Christine Forsyth and her daughter took over this old whitewashed pub tucked into a corner of a hidden square in the coastal village of Low Newton in north Northumberland.

But together they have created a cosy and convivial place – the perfect location to relax over a beer brewed on the premises after a bracing walk along the coast.

The Ship reopens tomorrow for lunches and will be serving evening meals from 7pm on December 28 and January 2-3. Lunches range in price from £2-£6.50, with evening meals coming in at between £9-£16 for a main course. Seasonal, locally sourced dishes include venison or game casserole and Northumbrian sausages.

Topsey Turvey’s, 2 Dial Place, Warkworth, Northumberland, (01665) 711338,

After a morning spent exploring Warkworth’s magnificent castle, church, hermitage and Norman bridge, or trekking along part of the Northumberland Coast Path, the second stage of which starts in the village, you can head for one of the friendliest and quirkiest restaurants in the world.

The small dining room and closely set tables make for a warm, relaxed atmosphere. Although the room is small, the menu is packed with dishes and the servings are huge, so it’s best to take a hearty appetite with you.

Topsey’s is running a special Christmas menu featuring turkey and all the trimmings, game, venison and locally caught seafood, with main courses starting at £8.95 (children’s portions £3.75).

Opening hours over the holidays are December 27-30 and January 2, 10am-4pm.

COUNTRYSIDE

The Feathers Inn, Hedley on the Hill, Northumberland, (01661) 843607, www.thefeathers.net

The Feathers may not be the easiest place to locate, stuck as it is high on the hill above the Tyne Valley at Hedley, but it’s worth taking the effort to find.

Under the leadership of chef Rhian Cradock and his girlfriend Helen Greer, it has built up an enviable reputation for its wholesome, locally sourced food, winning a clutch of national awards along the way.

Real ale, decent wines, a roaring log fire and a cosy, intimate atmosphere can all be yours. Open as normal today and throughout the festive period, although they are fully booked on New Year’s Eve. Seasonal menu specialities include locally bred geese and turkey, with main meals coming in at between £9-£14.

General HavelockHaydon Bridge, Northumberland, (01434) 684 376, www.generalhavelock.co.uk

Don’t be put off by this gastropub’s dour exterior - behind the black painted walls is a gem of a dining experience that has been serving weary travellers well on the road between Newcastle and Carlisle for centuries.

At the front is the main bar, while further back – in a converted barn – is a pleasant dining room boasting fine views over the South Tyne river.

Locally sourced ingredients form the backbone of the no-nonsense menus, with the bar offering (main courses from £5) currently boasting a hearty beef, Guinness and wild mushroom stew, and warming seasonal soups. Main courses in the restaurant start at £17 with duck leg cassoulet and monkfish sausages all making an appearance. Children and dogs are welcome and except for lunchtime on December 30, the Havelock is open as normal for food over the holidays.

Rose and Crown, Romaldkirk, Barnard Castle, County Durham, (01833) 650213, www.rose-and-crown.co.uk

Ameal at the 275-year-old Rose and Crown hotel in the picturesque village of Romaldkirk with its village green and Saxon church would be a fitting way to round off a few hours spent exploring Teesdale’s unspoilt and spectacular scenery.

You can settle in the locals’ bar and roast away in front of the fire, or seek out the sofas in the peaceful sitting room before enjoying the fabulous, locally sourced food either informally in the brasserie (bar meals from £7.50) or grandly in the panelled dining room.

The Rose and Crown is closed for Christmas but reopens tomorrow.

The Pheasant Inn, Stannersburn, Falstone, Northumberland, (01434) 240382, www.thepheasantinn.com

The Pheasant has been described by travel expert Alistair Sawday as “a really super little inn, the kind you hope to chance upon. It is not grand, not scruffy, just right.”

And after working up an appetite at Santa’s Secret Hideaway in the enchanted forest of Kielder, the orange glow emanating from the small, deep set windows of this stone-built, ivy clad pub will indeed be just right.

Inside you will find a roaring fire, two traditional pub rooms filled with olde-worlde nick-nacks and a dedicated dining room where wholesome, freshly prepared and tasty food is served.

Game pies, salmon and local lamb as well as wonderful Northumbrian cheeses all feature heavily on the menu.

The Pheasant is open every day between December 28-January 4 (normally closed on a Monday and Tuesday).

CITY and TOWN

Almshouses Restaurant, Palace Green, Durham, (0191) 386-1054, www.the-almhouses.co.uk

Next to Durham Cathedral, this long-established cafe/ restaurant enjoys a spectacular location. It offers honest home cooking and baking with an ever-changing menu.

Try butter bean and sage soup, smoked haddock and prawn pie and tagine of lamb followed by chocolate bread and butter pudding.

This is a great family restaurant which is open as usual over the festive period, 9am-5pm (New Year’s Day 11am-5pm).

Bouchon Bistrot, 4-6 Gilesgate, Hexham, Northumberland, (01434) 609943, www.bouchonbistrot.co.uk

The name, location and quality of the simply cooked French country-style food may smack of break-the-bank sophistication, but Gregory Bureau’s first restaurant is not only keenly priced, but informal and family-friendly – the ideal place to wile away a few festive hours after strolling along the banks of the River Tyne or taking a tour of old Hexham town.

The ground floor, with its open fire, is well suited to serving up welcoming lunches that cleave to Bureau’s French upbringing, with such seasonal delights as French onion soup, grilled king prawns, rolled goose breasts stuffed with chestnuts, beef Bourgignon with fresh pasta, creme brulee and gingerbread crusted pears, all on the menu.

And on Sundays you can tuck into a huge roast with Yorkshire pudding, alongside the French classics.

Prices start at £11.50 for main courses with child portions available. Bouchon is open December 27, 28, 30 and January 2.

Cafe Royal, 8 Nelson Street, Newcastle, (0191) 231-3000.

If you are looking for somewhere to put your feet up and get away from the January sales crowds, then the Cafe Royal is the place to go.

This city-centre cafe comes into its own as a brunch/lunch spot, serving fresh, seasonal and well-prepared food from light snacks to more substantial meals (try the full cooked English breakfast, £7, served all day) and a spectacular array of sweet treats for those who still haven’t had their fill over Christmas.

Main meals can be anything from house-cured salmon, beetroot and horseradish salad with buckwheat pancakes and creme fraiche to spiced lamb, cucumber and harissa wrap with Heritage potato wedges.

Throughout December, you can order two courses from a special set menu for £14 or three for £18.

This is an upmarket cafe to sit and watch the world go by.

And when you’ve had your fill you can walk off the calories by heading down Grey Street for a post-lunchtime amble along the Quayside. Closed Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.