Dobson & Parnell, Newcastle Quayside
It was restaurant week in Newcastle last week and so we took the opportunity to visit one of the more pricey restaurants that we would usually only visit on special occasions. Dobson & Parnell is a relatively new addition to the Newcastle Quayside, having been opened by the owners of Blackfriars (a well established restaurant which I have previously reviewed).
Dobson & Parnell were offering a 2 course dinner for £15 or 3 courses for £20 during restaurant week. However, they have recently announced that they are extending the offer to 31 August. This is a great deal and well worth taking advantage of.
When I called to make the reservation, I was asked if there were any dietary requirements. This was a nice touch and is something that Blackfriars also too. This immediately made me feel confident that the restaurant was allergy aware. When we arrived at the restaurant we were shown to our table and the waitress again asked if there are any dietary requirements. I was a little disappointed that the staff on the night were not aware of my allergy (given that they had gone to the trouble of asking on the phone) but it did show that the waitering staff working on the evening were also allergy aware. We were told that there were no problems with the food that we had ordered and, true to their word, we had no problems.
The menu offered a really good choice of dishes. For starter I ordered smoked mackerel pate with pickled cucumber on toast. I was expecting a smooth pate but what I was presented with was a chunky pate which was extremely tasty with the crispy toast. My husband ordered a dill-cured scottish salmon with creme fraiche and watercress. This was a nice light starter and went well will the glass of prosecco which we had ordered.
For main course we both opted for charred rump steak with beef fat chips and dressed leaves. This was a £4 supplement but well worth it. The steak was very tender and the chips were nice and crispy. With my main course I had ordered a Geordie Jack cocktail which was not only delicious but also very nicely presented by the barman.
For dessert we shared sticky toffee pudding with ice cream and creme brûlée with homemade orange shortbread. These desserts are our favourites. We had sticky toffee pudding at our wedding at Matfen Hall which we love. My husband commented that the sticky toffee was even better than that.
We had an extremely pleasant evening at Dobson & Parnell and were really put at ease in terms of my nut allergy. The staff were extremely friendly (particularly the bar man, Chris) and the food was delicious. From a nut allergy perspective, I would rate Dobson & Parnell 4.5/5.