This post first appeared on North East Family Fun in June 2021 and is based on a visit in June 2021.
Celebrity chef Gino D'Acampo has opened a restaurant on Newcastle Quayside. We popped along on a warm June evening to try it out and had a brilliant evening. What really stood out for us was the excellent quality of the food and the fantastic knowledgeable staff who knew their Italian food and the menu inside out. The views overlooking the quayside are absolutely perfect for people watching too.
You will find the restaurant inside of the new INNSiDe by Melia hotel overlooking the river Tyne just by the Quayside Bar. We had a quick nosey around the hotel and it is modern and stylish, I would recommend if you are looking for somewhere to stay on the Quayside.
Despite the restaurant being attached to a hotel, it definitely does not feel like a typical hotel restaurant. There is a seperate restaurant entrance from the Quayside and Dee the kids didn't even realise we were in a hotel until we are leaving.
Reservations for inside of the restaurant are recommended (book online here) with the outdoor terrace being available for walk ins. The restaurant inside is fairly large and you may be able to just 'walk in' but I reckon it will be popular and I would definitely recommend booking ahead if you can.
There was a real mix of people dining - a few people here on date night, a couple of families enjoying an early dinner but it was mostly groups of friends. We do all have a lot of catching up to do!
Facilities for families were brilliant with highchairs, accessible ground floor baby change and loos and a dedicated kids menu (with healthy options too). One family had their pram with them and there seemed to be plenty of room. Kids are given colouring sheets and crayons and I love that on the menu Gino encourages them to try something new.
Despite the restaurant being attached to a hotel, it definitely does not feel like a typical hotel restaurant. There is a seperate restaurant entrance from the Quayside and Dee the kids didn't even realise we were in a hotel until we are leaving.
Reservations for inside of the restaurant are recommended (book online here) with the outdoor terrace being available for walk ins. The restaurant inside is fairly large and you may be able to just 'walk in' but I reckon it will be popular and I would definitely recommend booking ahead if you can.
There was a real mix of people dining - a few people here on date night, a couple of families enjoying an early dinner but it was mostly groups of friends. We do all have a lot of catching up to do!
Facilities for families were brilliant with highchairs, accessible ground floor baby change and loos and a dedicated kids menu (with healthy options too). One family had their pram with them and there seemed to be plenty of room. Kids are given colouring sheets and crayons and I love that on the menu Gino encourages them to try something new.
We were seated next to a large group who were a little noisy and the staff immediatly asked if this was ok for us or if we'd prefer to move somewhere a little more quiet. I think this is the first time we've ever been asked this and it seemed very considerate. The staff really stand out as genuinely being passionate about providing a first class experience for their guests.
We were handed our menus and I have to say, there is a lot to get through. I have shared a few photos of the menus at the end of this post. All I could hear in my head as I was reading them was Gordon Ramsay saying you need a short and simple menu to succeed. Gino has done the opposite here. I do wonder if it was on purpose?
They are really hot on dietary requirements and Dee was given a large Vegetarian menu all to themself. Dee has been Vegetarian for over two years now and again, I think this is the first time they have ever been provided with a dedicated menu. There are loads of options if you are veggie.
We were handed our menus and I have to say, there is a lot to get through. I have shared a few photos of the menus at the end of this post. All I could hear in my head as I was reading them was Gordon Ramsay saying you need a short and simple menu to succeed. Gino has done the opposite here. I do wonder if it was on purpose?
They are really hot on dietary requirements and Dee was given a large Vegetarian menu all to themself. Dee has been Vegetarian for over two years now and again, I think this is the first time they have ever been provided with a dedicated menu. There are loads of options if you are veggie.
Our server Manu was an absolute star. He knew the menu inside out, was able to give personal recommendations for side dishes to compliment our mains and shared little snippets of info about some of the dishes we had ordered. Our food all arrived in good time with no errors and it was just such a seamless experience. It is clear the staff here have been trained to a high level and it really shows. We were impressed.
Sitting with a glass of wine people watching those walking along the Quayside is my kind of pastime.
We ordered a few sharers to start. I 100% recommend the Cicchetti 4 You which is a board filled with little bar snacks, unique to Venezia and best served with a chilled glass of white wine (of course I obliged). So perfect for a Summer's evening. They were all good but the star was definitely the Parma Ham with Nduja, Honey and Pistachio Nuts. It was such a good balance of spice and sweetness and is a starter I am going to try and ask Steve to recreate at home (actually as a side note, the menu lets you know which cookbook and where you can find the recipe for most of the dishes - this one is apparently in A Taste of the Sun p.16 and Italian Adriatic Escape p.12)
I wasn't sure how fussy the kids were going to be so ordered a bread board too - it went down a treat and was served with a pot of homemade pesto.
Most of us ordered a mix of pizzas & pastas. The pizzas are made in a proper pizza oven and you can see the chef making them. The kids have a thing of always mentioning how the proper pizzas we have tried in Italy are always 'wet' in the middle and that's exactly how they described these ones. Just how I like them. The pizzas were a good size too, even the kids ones.
Manu did an excellent job of selling the seafood linguine to us and explained that the clams were freshly brought in this morning (as all of the seafood is). He was right, they were delicious and again it was a fairly big portion. I spied someone on another table with the lobster linguine which looked stunning - next time!
If fish and chips is on the menu, Jack is going to order it and these ones are freshly prepared in the restaurant and received the thumbs up from Jack. He especially liked that they were served on yesterday's newspaper which was novel to him.
The desserts looked lush but after our absolute carb fest, we couldn't fit anything else in. Well all except Jack who could not resist the chocolate pudding. Wow it looked unxious and I was a little jealous. He really enjoyed it.
This restaurant is not the kind of place you would come to for a cheap happy hour pizza. It is a modern and contemporary restaurant with breathtaking views of the quayside serving delicious Italian cuisine packed full of authentic and fresh ingredients. I think it is the kind of place I would book for a nice dinner with friends or family and I would happily bring the kids again as they were made to feel very welcome and really enjoyed it.
It is the kind of place you book knowing you will be well looked after and have a good night. There are some expensive dishes on the menu which reflects the quality ingredients (lobster dishes for example) but there are cheaper options too and I would say prices are en-par with other Quayside restaurants of the same standard).
We parked in Spillers Car Park (postcode NE6 1BY) beside the Cycle Hub as it is free and there are usually plenty of spaces. It is a mile walk along the Quayside to the restaurant from this car park and we fancied the walk as it was a lovely evening and it had been a while since we were at the Quayside so I wanted to soak it all in. Closer parking is available at Close Swing Bridge (NE1 3RQ) which is just a two minute walk away. Newcastle Quayside is accessible by public transport too.
It is the kind of place you book knowing you will be well looked after and have a good night. There are some expensive dishes on the menu which reflects the quality ingredients (lobster dishes for example) but there are cheaper options too and I would say prices are en-par with other Quayside restaurants of the same standard).
We parked in Spillers Car Park (postcode NE6 1BY) beside the Cycle Hub as it is free and there are usually plenty of spaces. It is a mile walk along the Quayside to the restaurant from this car park and we fancied the walk as it was a lovely evening and it had been a while since we were at the Quayside so I wanted to soak it all in. Closer parking is available at Close Swing Bridge (NE1 3RQ) which is just a two minute walk away. Newcastle Quayside is accessible by public transport too.
We thoroughly enjoyed our evening. Delicious food, wonderful Quayside views, a lovely modern setting, fantastic food and brilliant service with extremely knowledgeable staff.
Find out more and book here: https://ginodacampohotelsandleisure.com/
Gino D'Acampo Newcastle Summer Menus
I couldn't find any menus online so thought I would share a few snaps here to give you an idea of what to expect. If you are reading this on a mobile phone, please click on the image and you should be able to zoom in.
Bon Appetit!
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