Northumberland, Scandinavian Restaurant Guide

“We are so lucky to have this very special restaurant in Northumberland” – Swedish chef Alex Nietosvuori and his Northumberland-born partner Ally Thompson inspire nothing but superlatives for their acclaimed destination: a bright, contemporary 24-seater with open kitchen at a pub-with-rooms next to Hadrian’s Wall. “It is evident that they seek out the best ingredients and are not afraid to change suppliers if they find something more in keeping with their ethos, with lots of local produce used”. The result is “high class, inventive” Scandi-inflected cuisine served as a mixture of small bites and larger dishes comprising a £150 per person tasting menu. “Wonderful… even on a second visit – not every eatery can do that!”

Kenny Atkinson’s “fantastic inventive food”, delivered across a “truly exceptional menu of 17 bitesize courses” (for £175 per person) in this “intimate” yearling, next-door to his flagship House of Tides, is “an absolute must-do if you are in Newcastle”. “It might be expensive, it might be exclusive and it might be incongruous in the current economic climate, but it’s also exceptional and well worth the treat if you can afford it” – and is many of our diners’ choice as “the best cooking eaten in the last 12 months”.