Adriano’s, 90 High Street, Gosforth

Mar 7 2008 by Geoff Laws, The Journal

THESE months, when nights are barely shorter than days and days can be as gloomy as their counterparts, do drag on.

We took a fortnight break and had a fabulous holiday in south India. The mountains, green with tea and spice plantations, flashing blue kingfishers and gracefully lumbering elephants, made this an exotic experience enhanced by wonderful Keralan cuisine. England’s chill was warmed by knowing we were returning to the best place in the world and a less spicy regime for a while.

Adriano’s in Gosforth High Street offered that option and Saturday evening found us relaxing with a glass of good Sardinian wine, some olives, bread and dipping oil, and the promise of a very different meal.

The menu trumpeted its Sardinian pedigree in every starter. My companion’s choice of soft cushions of calves’ liver, served on the thin bread typical of the island, came with luscious onion gravy and soft, Sardinian pancetta. She was unconvinced about the bread, which softened in the parts covered by gravy, but remained cardboard hard where dry.

My cous-cous, with its surprisingly large beads of cereal, had a generous scattering of mini-clams and a gentle tomato sauce.

The mix of land and sea, earthy and herby, neatly combined the themes of Sardinian cuisine.

The wine had good legs and was running well alongside these dishes as we headed towards our main courses.

My companion, disappointed the cod was ‘off’, went with her second choice, sea bass in a salt crust with salamoia jus.

The fillets were beautifully soft, but the promised crust was nowhere to be seen. A nondescript, pale gravy softened the skin and washed up against an incongruous garnish of two lettuce leaves, roasted cherry tomatoes and a chunk of lemon. A confused and confusing dish.

My choice of partridge resulted in a miniature Sunday roast.

The whole bird, beautifully juicy and surrounded with sliced apples, came with gravy layered with sweet fruit juices. The surprise was that I was promised oranges not apples, but we’ll gloss over that because it worked well.

A side dish of very good steamed vegetables with deep-fried new potatoes (why not just give us good boiled ones?) helped use up as much of the gravies as we could manage before thinking about desserts.

The menu didn’t quibble about desserts and stated clearly that they were bought in.

This automatically raises the question for me: “Why have a dog and bark yourself?”

Surely any chef worth his salt can rustle up a reasonable tiramisu?

The hazelnut torte lacked flavour and was as unattractively dry as baked stuffing, but was saved by the ice cream, which had a good crystal-to-cream ratio.

The plum and almond tart had great texture with buttery pastry and loads of crumbly almond filling, but please leave out the squirty, red sauce. I think we grown-ups don’t need that kind of childish distraction.

Two very good espressos woke us up and sent me off thinking ... Adriano’s is making a strong bid to appeal to its local market and will probably do well, but it has to rethink a few things before it has my vote.

Address: 90 High Street, Gosforth, Newcastle

Tel: (0191) 284-6464

Open: Monday-Saturday 12pm-2.30pm, 5.30pm-10.00pm, Sunday 12.30pm-9.00pm

Where is it? Behind the shops on the east side of Gosforth High Street through an easily missed alleyway. On the block just north of The County pub.

First impressions: Super design impact from the flagged terrace through to the olive trees in the atrium, this place has great style.

Welcome: Cheerful and efficient.

Style, design and furnishings: A mix of contemporary chic with Sardinian rustica. The putty grey-blue paintwork and natural colours elsewhere emphasise the drive to bring country to town.

Cuisine: I think you know by now it’s Sardinian.

Wine: Cannonau Disardegna Bantu 2006. Served at the right temperature. Its strong legs carried a hefty bowl of blackcurrant with a hint of aniseed. Just right for what we were eating.

Service: Very smooth and polished.

Value: With some of the reservations I had, the bill of £78.05 might make me think about trying the cheaper pizza/pasta options.

Parking: Turn off the High Street at The County pub and there is a large car park behind the restaurant.

Disabled facilities: Fully accessible.